title: Dynamic expansion of alert responses to incoming painful stimuli following tool use.
abstract: Peripersonal space is the region closely surrounding our bodies. Within its boundaries, avoidance of threatening objects is crucial for surviving. Here we explored autonomic responses to painful stimuli with respect to the dynamic properties of the peripersonal space in healthy individuals. To this aim, in a series of experiments, we measured the Skin Conductance Response (SCR) to a noxious stimulus approaching and touching the hand, or stopping at different distances (far, near) from it. Results showed that the anticipatory response to an incoming threat is reduced if the stimulus targets a spatial position far away from the body, as compared to a near or bodily location. However, responses to far stimuli change if the boundaries of reachable space are extended further away by active tool use. Noteworthy, SCR is not influenced by a training consisting of a spatial attention task, without active tool use. This evidence sheds novel light on the adaptive role of peripersonal space, showing its importance for the coding of incoming threatening stimuli and its plasticity induced by contingent experience, such as tool use.
authors.affiliation: Università degli studi di Milano Bicocca, Department of Psychology, piazza Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20126 Milano, Italy; IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Neuropsychological Laboratory, via Mercalli 32, 20122 Milano, Italy. Electronic address: a.rossetti5@campus.unimib.it.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rossetti
authors.affiliation: Università degli studi di Milano Bicocca, Department of Psychology, piazza Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20126 Milano, Italy; NeuroMi-Milan Center for Neuroscience, Università degli studi di Milano-Bicocca, piazza Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20126 Milano, Italy. Electronic address: d.romano10@campus.unimib.it.
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.affiliation: Università degli studi di Milano Bicocca, Department of Psychology, piazza Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20126 Milano, Italy; IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Neuropsychological Laboratory, via Mercalli 32, 20122 Milano, Italy; NeuroMi-Milan Center for Neuroscience, Università degli studi di Milano-Bicocca, piazza Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20126 Milano, Italy. Electronic address: nadia.bolognini@unimib.it.
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bolognini
authors.affiliation: Università degli studi di Milano Bicocca, Department of Psychology, piazza Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20126 Milano, Italy; NeuroMi-Milan Center for Neuroscience, Università degli studi di Milano-Bicocca, piazza Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20126 Milano, Italy. Electronic address: angelo.maravita@unimib.it.
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maravita
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D004215:Distance Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017711:Nonlinear Dynamics; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D010812:Physical Stimulation / Q000009:adverse effects; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014110:Touch; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Pain anticipation; Peripersonal space; Skin conductance response; Tool use; Vision