Schizotypy and individual differences in peripersonal space plasticity

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Peripersonal space (PPS) is the egocentric space around the body, dynamically shaped by motor interactions.
• PPS boundaries vary individually, influenced by factors like schizotypy, with narrower spaces reported in high schizotypal individuals.
• The relationship between PPS plasticity and schizotypy traits remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate individual peripersonal space (PPS) plasticity following tool use versus tool-use observation across the schizotypal continuum.
• To explore how schizotypy influences the adaptation of PPS boundaries after motor training.

Main Methods:

• Experiment 1: Assessed PPS plasticity after participants actively used a tool.
• Experiment 2: Assessed PPS plasticity after participants passively observed another person using the same tool.
• Participants were categorized into relatively-low and relatively-high schizotypy groups for comparison.

Main Results:

• Active tool use led to a significant extension of PPS boundaries.
• Observation of tool use did not induce significant changes in PPS boundaries.
• Individuals with lower schizotypy exhibited greater PPS expansion compared to those with higher schizotypy, irrespective of training type.

Conclusions:

• Active motor engagement, not mere observation, drives PPS plasticity.
• Schizotypy levels significantly modulate PPS plasticity, with higher levels associated with reduced adaptability.
• Findings suggest a potential general functional alteration in PPS processing associated with increasing schizotypy.