Impaired Spatial-Temporal Integration of Touch in Xenomelia (Body Integrity Identity Disorder)

Aoyama, Atsushi; Kempler, Péter; Palla, Antonio; Hilti, Leonie; Brugger, Peter

doi:10.1080/13875868.2011.603773

Cited by 45 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 33 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…An alternative hypothesis assumes an increased attention, reflected by higher SCR, directed towards the unwanted limb. This hypothesis was supported by findings from an experiment on spatio-temporal integration judgements, which showed that individuals with amputation desire have an exaggerated "tactile attention" towards the unwanted body part (Aoyama et al, 2012). However, such an explanation appears contradicted by the observed absence of pain anticipation, as one would predict higher SCR also in the case of simulated touch.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

“…During this first contact an extensive psychiatric assessment, including a structured interview and validated self-report questionnaires (Hilti et al, 2013) excluded the presence of axis I disorders. In each person, BIID characteristics were confirmed (Ryan, Shaw, & Harris, 2010) and different dimensions were further quantified as in a previous study (Aoyama, Krummenacher, Palla, Hilti, & Brugger, 2012). When arriving in Milan selected participants have also been administered with a semi-structured interview modeled after the SCID-II preliminary questionnaire (First, Gibbon, Spitzer, Williams, & Benjamin, 1994).…”

Section: 1subjectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Body ownership: When feeling and knowing diverge

Romano

Sedda

Brugger

et al. 2015

Consciousness and Cognition

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Individuals with the peculiar disturbance of 'overcompleteness' experience an intense desire to amputate one of their healthy limbs, describing a sense of disownership for it (Body Integrity Identity Disorder -BIID). This condition is similar to somatoparaphrenia, the acquired delusion that one's own limb belongs to someone else. In ten individuals with BIID, we measured skin conductance response to noxious stimuli, delivered to the accepted and non-accepted limb, touching the body part or simulating the contact (stimuli approach the body without contacting it), hypothesizing that these individuals have responses like somatoparaphrenic patients, who previously showed reduced pain anticipation, when the threat was directed to the disowned limb. We found reduced anticipatory response to stimuli approaching, but not contacting, the unwanted limb. Conversely, stimuli contacting the non-accepted body-part, induced stronger SCR than those contacting the healthy parts, suggesting that feeling of ownership is critically related to a proper processing of incoming threats. AbstractPersons with peculiar disturbance of 'overcompleteness' experience an intense desire to amputate

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

Section: 1subjectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Body ownership: When feeling and knowing diverge

Romano

Sedda

Brugger

et al. 2015

Consciousness and Cognition

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The strength of the individual's desire for amputation was assessed with the Zurich Xenomelia Scale (ZXS; Aoyama, Krummenacher, Palla, Hilti, & Brugger, 2012) for items see Table 2). This instrument contains 12 statements to RUBBER FOOT ILLUSION IN XENOMELIA 8 which the participant responds on a Likert-type scale from 1 (strongly agree) to 6 (strongly disagree).…”

Section: Assessment Of the Desire For Amputationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disturbed body integrity and the “rubber foot illusion”.

2015

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objective: Xenomelia, that is, the nonacceptance of one's own limb, is an intriguing but little understood condition. We sought to further test the most prominent neuroscientific hypothesis that suggests xenomelia results from a breakdown in multisensory integration for the affected body part. Method: A "rubber foot illusion" paradigm was developed and tested in healthy participants and in individuals with a desire for left foot amputation (xenomelia). Behavioral and physiological responses quantified illusory ownership of a fake foot after synchronous and asynchronous stroking of a visible rubber foot and the subject's own hidden foot. Results: Healthy participants (n = 15) showed a rubber foot illusion similar to the well-known rubber hand illusion. Individuals with xenomelia (n = 9) experienced the rubber foot illusion in a way comparable to healthy controls. The only difference in the individuals with xenomelia was an increase in the vividness of the illusion for the undesired limb. This vividness of the illusion correlated positively with the strength of amputation desire. Conclusion: These findings might reflect the malleable sense of the body in xenomelia and suggest a weakened representation of the affected body part. These findings may support the use of multisensory stimulation in therapeutic settings. Objective: Xenomelia -i.e. the non-acceptance of one's own limb -is an intriguing but littleunderstood condition. This study aimed to further test the most prominent neuroscientific hypothesis that suggests it results from a breakdown in multisensory integration for the affected body part. Method:A "rubber foot illusion" paradigm was developed and tested both in healthy participants as well as in individuals with a desire for left foot amputation (xenomelia). Questionnaire, behavioral and physiological responses quantified illusory ownership of a fake foot after synchronous and asynchronous stroking of a seen rubber foot and the hidden own foot.Results: Healthy participants (n=15) showed a rubber foot illusion similar to the known rubber hand illusion. Furthermore, individuals with xenomelia (n=9) experienced the rubber foot illusion in a comparable way to healthy controls. The only difference was an increased vividness of the illusion for the undesired limb. This vividness of the illusion was further positively correlated to the strength of amputation desire. Conclusions:These findings might reflect the malleable sense of the body in xenomelia and suggest a weakened representation specifically of the affected body part. They might further pave the way for the use of multisensory stimulation in therapeutic settings.Keywords: Body image identity disorder (BIID), multisensory integration, amputation desire, xenomelia, neuropsychiatryXenomelia designates the non-acceptance of one or several limbs by non-psychotic individuals (McGeoch et al., 2011). Usually first noticed in childhood, the failure to integrate the limb into one's bodily self typically gets stronger during puberty and may culminate i...

show abstract

“…The ZXS is a questionnaire that quantifies three essential aspects of xenomelia ('pure amputation desire', 'erotic attraction' and 'pretending behavior') on a scale from 1 to 6 and is described in more detail elsewhere (Aoyama et al, 2012).…”

Section: Group Specific Questionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While previous research focused on xenomelia as a neurological condition in the narrow sense (Hilti et al, 2013;McGeoch et al, 2011), several associated signs point to significant social co-determinants Brugger and Lenggenhager, 2014). First, the desire for amputation is often triggered by encounters with amputees (Aoyama et al, 2012). Second, a profound admiration for amputees up to a sexual attraction towards incomplete bodies has been described in some individuals with xenomelia (De Preester, 2013;First, 2005) and third, affected persons frequently pretend in private or public to be amputees.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

When less is more – Implicit preference for incomplete bodies in xenomelia

Macauda

Bekrater-Bodmann

Brugger

et al. 2017

Journal of Psychiatric Research

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Individuals with xenomelia identify with an amputated rather than with their physically complete, healthy body. They often mimic amputees and show a strong admiration of and sexual attraction towards them. Here we investigated for the first time empirically whether such unusual preference for amputated bodies is present also on an implicit level. Using the well-validated Implicit Association Test we show that individuals with xenomelia manifested a stronger implicit and explicit preference for amputated bodies than a normally-limbed control group and a group of involuntary amputees did. Interestingly, the two latter groups did not differ in their implicit and explicit preference for complete versus amputated bodies. These findings are an important step in understanding how deeply rooted attitudes about a socially normative body appearance may be influenced by a developmentally disordered experience of one's own bodily self. We conclude that this is the first behavioral evidence demonstrating a conflict of self-identification on an implicit level and this enriches current understandings of xenomelia as a primarily neurological disorder. AbstractIndividuals with xenomelia identify with an amputated rather than with their physically complete, healthy body. They often mimic amputees and show a strong admiration of and sexual attraction towards them. Here we investigated for the first time empirically whether such unusual preference for amputated bodies is present also on an implicit level. Using the wellvalidated Implicit Association Test we show that individuals with xenomelia manifested a stronger implicit and explicit preference for amputated bodies stronger than a normally-limbed control group and a group of involuntary amputees did. Interestingly, the two latter groups did not differ in their implicit and explicit preference for complete versus amputated bodies. These findings are an important step in understanding how deeply rooted attitudes about a socially normative body appearance may be influenced by a developmentally disordered experience of one's own bodily self. We conclude that this first behavioral evidence to demonstrate a conflict of self-identification on an implicit level and this enriches current understandings of xenomelia as a primarily neurological disorder.

show abstract

Impaired Spatial-Temporal Integration of Touch in Xenomelia (Body Integrity Identity Disorder)

Cited by 45 publications

References 33 publications

Body ownership: When feeling and knowing diverge

Body ownership: When feeling and knowing diverge

Disturbed body integrity and the “rubber foot illusion”.

When less is more – Implicit preference for incomplete bodies in xenomelia

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About