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Updated: Mar 7, 2026
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A Contusive Model of Unilateral Cervical Spinal Cord Injury Using the Infinite Horizon Impactor
Published on: July 24, 2012
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Corporeal illusions in chronic spinal cord injuries
Michele Scandola1, Salvatore Maria Aglioti2, Renato Avesani3
1NPsy-Lab.VR, Department of Human Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy; IRCCS Fondazione S. Lucia, Rome, Italy.
Consciousness and Cognition
|February 22, 2017
Summary
Spinal cord injury (SCI) can cause bodily illusions, impacting body representation. These misperceptions are linked to clinical factors, not personality, highlighting the embodied nature of self-perception.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Corporeal illusions are documented after stroke and amputation.
- Limited research exists on bodily misperceptions following spinal cord injury (SCI).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate various corporeal illusions in a large group of individuals with SCI.
- To correlate these illusions with clinical variables and personality traits.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 49 individuals with SCI in post-acute and chronic phases participated.
- An extensive questionnaire battery assessed body-related feelings.
- Results were correlated with clinical variables (pain, lesion characteristics) and personality measures.
Main Results:
- Six typologies of corporeal illusions were identified: Body Loss, Body-Part Misperceptions, Somatoparaphrenia-like, Disownership-like, Illusory Motion, and Misoplegia.
- Illusory motion and misperceptions were modulated by pain, lesion completeness, level, and time since onset.
- No significant correlation was found between bodily illusions and personality variables.
Conclusions:
- Bodily illusions in SCI are influenced by clinical factors, suggesting a link between sensory-motor input and body representation.
- These findings support the embodied cognition theory, emphasizing the role of somatosensory and motor systems in maintaining self-body representation.
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