Imagined paralysis alters somatosensory evoked-potentials. Issue 4 (1st October 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Palluel, Estelle; Falconer, Caroline J.; Lopez, Christophe; Marchesotti, Silvia; Hartmann, Matthias; Blanke, Olaf; Mast, Fred W.
• Is Part Of: Cognitive neuroscience. Volume 11:Issue 4(2020)
• Page Start: 205
• Page End: 215
• Publication Date: 2020-10-01
• Subjects: Imagined paralysis -- body representation -- imagery -- somatosensory-evoked potentials; Cognitive neuroscience -- Periodicals; 612.8205
• DOI: 10.1080/17588928.2020.1772737
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1758-8928

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Recent studies employing body illusions have shown that multisensory conflict can alter body representations and modulate low-level sensory processing. One defining feature of these body illusions is that they are sensory driven and thus passive on behalf of the participant. Thus, it remained to establish whether explicit alteration of own-body representations modulates low-level sensory processing. We investigated whether tibial nerve somatosensory-evoked potentials were modulated when participants imagined paralysis of their legs and arms. Imagined paralysis of the legs decreased P40 amplitude, but not imagined paralysis of the arms. These results show modulation of early somatosensory processing via explicit, top-down alteration to the internal representation of the body. Interestingly, P40 suppression positively correlated with bodily awareness scores whereas it negatively correlated with body dissociation scores. This suggests that the ability to actively alter own-body representation and its corresponding sensory processing depends upon dispositions to attend to and focus on bodily sensations.