Self-representation in Kleine-Levin syndrome: a single case fMRI study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Kleine-Levin syndrome (KLS) presents with recurrent episodes of hypersomnia, cognitive, and behavioral changes.
• The subjective experience of 'self' during KLS episodes remains poorly understood.

Observation:

• A 17-year-old male adolescent was studied using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at the end of a KLS episode.
• The study employed a self-reference processing (SRP) paradigm to evaluate the self-reference effect (SRE).

Findings:

• Enhanced activation in right hemisphere and posterior areas, linked to physical self-representation, was observed during the SRP condition.
• During the SRE condition, enhanced activation occurred in bilateral, predominantly left frontal areas, associated with conceptual self-representation.

Implications:

• These findings suggest a modified sense of self during KLS episodes, characterized by a stronger grounding in physical self-representations.
• This research provides novel insights into the neurobiological underpinnings of altered self-perception in Kleine-Levin syndrome.