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When we look at our hands, we immediately know that they are part of our own body. This feeling of ownership of our limbs is a fundamental aspect of self-consciousness. We have studied the neuronal counterparts of this experience. A perceptual illusion was used to manipulate feelings of ownership of a rubber hand presented in front of healthy subjects while brain activity was measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging. The neural activity in the premotor cortex reflected the feeling of ownership of the hand. This suggests that multisensory integration in the premotor cortex provides a mechanism for bodily self-attribution.

Original publication

DOI

10.1126/science.1097011

Type

Journal article

Journal

Science

Publication Date

06/08/2004

Volume

305

Pages

875 - 877

Keywords

Body Image, Brain, Brain Mapping, Cerebellum, Female, Hand, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Motor Cortex, Neurons, Parietal Lobe, Proprioception, Time Factors, Touch, Vision, Ocular