Temporal judgments of actions following unilateral brain damage

Abstract

Sense of time is a complex construct, and its neural correlates remain to date in most part unknown. To complicate the frame, physical attributes of the stimulus, such as its intensity or movement, influence temporal perception. Although previous studies have shown that time perception can be compromised after a brain lesion, the evidence on the role of the left and right hemispheres are meager. In two experiments, the study explores the ability of temporal estimation of multi-second actions and non-biological movements in 33 patients suffering from unilateral brain lesion. Furthermore, the modulatory role of induced embodiment processes is investigated. The results reveal a joint contribution of the two hemispheres depending not only on different durations but also on the presence of actions. Indeed, the left hemisphere damaged patients find it difficult to estimate 4500 ms or longer durations, while the right hemisphere damaged patients fail in 3000 ms durations. Furthermore, the former fail when a biological action is shown, while the latter fail in non-biological movement. Embodiment processes have a modulatory effect only after right hemisphere lesions. Among neuropsychological variables, only spatial neglect influences estimation of non-biological movement.

Malleability and fluidity of time perception

“…Subsecond time intervals are mainly processed in the cerebellum 32 , whereas temporal processing in the range of seconds and minutes is supported by the prefrontal cortex and striatum 33 , 34 . In addition, time perception is impaired in disorders of the precuneus/posterior cingulate gyrus 35 and supramarginal gyrus 36 . In particular, the precuneus may contribute to our sense of “presentness”, providing the “now” in the passage of time 37 , 38 .…”