Neuronal mechanisms of body ownership-a study of rubber hand illusion in macaque monkey

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K07794
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 51010:Basic brain sciences-related
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Katsuyama Narumi 京都大学, ヒト行動進化研究センター, 特定助教 (00291906)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 身体所有感 / ラバーハンド錯覚 / 到達運動 / マカクザル

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A feeling that the body parts, such as hands, legs, and head, etc., belong to our own body is referred to as body ownership. Many studies have suggested that body ownership may be a foundation not only for sensation and motion, but also self-consciousness (bodily-self). The purpose of the study is to establish an animal model of body ownership for future investigation of neuronal mechanisms underlying it. A macaque monkey was trained in a touch task. In the delay period before the touch, the ownership of the hidden hand of the monkey was transferred to an image of monkey hand presented on a display, in which the position of the hand was different from that of the hidden hand. Monkey was rewarded if it touched on a hidden touch screen after a cue. The deviation of the touch point from the target was analyzed as a measure of the transferred hand ownership to the hand image.

Free Research Field

神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

身体部位の所有感は、手や体を使った動きや感覚受容にとって重要であるだけでなく、自己と他人との区別や、身体的自己の基盤ともなる重要な脳機能である。しかし、それが脳内でどのように表象されているのかは不明な点が多い。本研究で得られる成果は個人の身体所有感だけでなく、自己と他者の区別の神経基盤の解明にも貢献することが期待される。