Is the Prosthetic Homologue Necessary for Embodiment?

Area of Science:

• Prosthetics and Artificial Limbs
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Neuroscience and Embodiment Studies

Background:

• Embodiment is crucial for prosthetic acceptance, integrating artificial limbs as part of the self.
• Current understanding lacks clear guidelines on the visual fidelity required for successful embodiment.
• The necessity of a prosthetic hand's appearance matching the absent limb for embodiment remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a protocol for assessing prosthetic hand selection based on visual homology.
• To investigate the consistency of hand selection across repeated exposures.
• To determine if individuals prefer a prosthetic hand that visually resembles their absent limb.

Main Methods:

• A protocol was designed to test visual preference for prosthetic hands among healthy volunteers.
• Participants selected a preferred hand from a set of five options, including a visually homologous hand.
• Selection consistency was evaluated across multiple trials with reordered hand presentations.

Main Results:

• Hand selection consistency was only modest across participants and trials.
• Selection of the visually homologous prosthetic hand was atypical, occurring in 61 out of 192 total exposures.
• The developed protocol is efficient, executable within minutes, and adaptable for face-to-face or virtual implementation.

Conclusions:

• Visual homology alone may not be the primary driver for prosthetic hand selection.
• The developed protocol offers a flexible and rapid method for studying prosthetic preference.
• Further research is needed to understand the factors influencing embodiment and prosthetic acceptance.