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Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation
Published on: December 31, 2013
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Virtual body continuity during action observation affects motor cortical excitability
Marta Matamala-Gomez1,2,3, Francesca Frisco4,5, Giacomo Guidali4
1Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. marta.matamala@ub.edu.
Scientific Reports
|April 17, 2025
Summary
Virtual reality body ownership studies reveal that higher continuity between a real and virtual body enhances motor cortex excitability. This effect is linked to feelings of body ownership and disownership during action observation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Virtual Reality Studies
- Human-Computer Interaction
Background:
- Body ownership, the sense of embodiment, is crucial for self-perception.
- Virtual Reality (VR) allows for manipulation of body representation, influencing self-perception.
- Motor cortex excitability is known to be modulated by body representation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how varying degrees of body continuity in VR affect feelings of body ownership.
- To examine the impact of body continuity on motor cortex excitability during action observation.
- To explore the relationship between body perception and motor system responses.
Main Methods:
- Participants observed virtual hand movements in VR under three conditions: Full-Body, Upper Limb, and Detached Hand.
- Visual continuity between the real and virtual body was manipulated.
- Corticospinal excitability was measured using transcranial magnetic stimulation during action observation.
Main Results:
- Increased corticospinal excitability was observed in the Full-Body and Upper Limb conditions compared to the Detached Hand condition.
- Higher body continuity correlated with increased motor cortex excitability.
- Feelings of ownership and disownership mediated the relationship between body continuity and corticospinal excitability.
Conclusions:
- The degree of visual continuity between one's body and a virtual body influences motor cortex excitability.
- Body ownership and disownership play a significant role in modulating motor system responses to virtual body representations.
- This research supports a strong link between body perception and the human motor system.
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