Abstract
Vision of the body is known to affect somatosensory perception (e.g. proprioception or tactile discrimination). However, it is unknown whether visual information about one’s own body size can influence bodily action. We tested this by measuring the maximum grip aperture (MGA) parameter of grasping while eight subjects viewed a real size, enlarged or shrunken image of their hand reaching to grasp a cylinder. In the enlarged view condition, the MGA decreased relative to real size view, as if the grasping movement was actually executed with a physically larger hand, thus requiring a smaller grip aperture to grasp the cylinder. Interestingly, MGA remained smaller even after visual feedback was removed. In contrast, no effect was found for the reduced view condition. This asymmetry may reflect the fact that enlargement of body parts is experienced more frequently than shrinkage, notably during normal growth. In conclusion, vision of the body can significantly and persistently affect the internal model of the body used for motor programming.
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Notes
Intriguingly, our results are reminiscent of the dynamic modulation of body representation induced by the repetitive use of external tools (Maravita and Iriki 2004) that can subsequently affect the kinematics of movement of the trained arm (Cardinali et al. 2009). Critically, in our experiment, the mere vision of altered hand size would be sufficient to modify the internal body model for action.
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Acknowledgments
This study was supported by Grants (FAR) of the University of Milano-Bicocca to AM. Preliminary results have appeared in abstract form in: Marino B, Maravita A, Nava E, Stucchi N (2007). The effect of viewing one’s own hand as abnormally large or small on the perception of body size. Perception, 36, 209.
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Marino, B.F.M., Stucchi, N., Nava, E. et al. Distorting the visual size of the hand affects hand pre-shaping during grasping. Exp Brain Res 202, 499–505 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-009-2143-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-009-2143-4