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Body size perception in stroke patients with paresis.
Azam Shahvaroughi-Farahani1, Sally A Linkenauger2, Betty J Mohler3
1Division of Neuropsychology, Center of Neurology, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Plos One
|June 4, 2021
Summary
Individuals with arm paresis after stroke overestimate their affected limb length. This suggests a strong link between body size perception and action capabilities, particularly after neurological injury.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Perception of the body's peripersonal space is influenced by action capabilities.
- The impact of impaired action capability on body size perception, specifically reaching distance, remains under-investigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how arm paresis following stroke affects body size and action capability perception.
- To test the hypothesis that inability to reach and grasp influences the perception of reaching distance.
Main Methods:
- Compared 32 right-brain-damaged stroke patients (with and without left-sided arm paresis and/or spatial neglect) and 27 healthy controls.
- Assessed arm length perception using explicit visual, tactile/proprioceptive, and implicit reaching methods.
- Re-examined 19 stroke patients approximately five months post-injury.
Main Results:
- Patients with arm paresis demonstrated altered body size perception.
- A transient overestimation of the contralesional (paretic) arm length was observed in stroke patients.
- These perceptual changes were linked to the degree of arm paresis.
Conclusions:
- Body size perception and action capability are closely interconnected in humans.
- Arm paresis after stroke significantly impacts the perception of limb length and body space.
- Findings highlight the sensorimotor basis of body representation and its vulnerability to neurological damage.
