title: Behavioral, Neural, and Computational Principles of Bodily Self-Consciousness.
abstract: Recent work in human cognitive neuroscience has linked self-consciousness to the processing of multisensory bodily signals (bodily self-consciousness [BSC]) in fronto-parietal cortex and more posterior temporo-parietal regions. We highlight the behavioral, neurophysiological, neuroimaging, and computational laws that subtend BSC in humans and non-human primates. We propose that BSC includes body-centered perception (hand, face, and trunk), based on the integration of proprioceptive, vestibular, and visual bodily inputs, and involves spatio-temporal mechanisms integrating multisensory bodily stimuli within peripersonal space (PPS). We develop four major constraints of BSC (proprioception, body-related visual information, PPS, and embodiment) and argue that the fronto-parietal and temporo-parietal processing of trunk-centered multisensory signals in PPS is of particular relevance for theoretical models and simulations of BSC and eventually of self-consciousness.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 9 Chemin des Mines, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Neurology, University of Geneva, 24 rue Micheli-du-Crest, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland. Electronic address: olaf.blanke@epfl.ch.
authors.forename: Olaf
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Blanke
authors.affiliation: ICREA-University of Barcelona, Campus de Mundet, 08035 Barcelona, Spain; Department of Computer Science, University College London, Malet Place Engineering Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
authors.forename: Mel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Slater
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 9 Chemin des Mines, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland. Electronic address: andrea.serino@epfl.ch.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Serino
mesh_terms: D001828:Body Image; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D003243:Consciousness; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000502:physiology; D010465:Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D011434:Proprioception / Q000502:physiology*; D012649:Self Concept; D012677:Sensation / Q000502:physiology; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000502:physiology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*