title: The Rubber Tail Illusion as Evidence of Body Ownership in Mice.
abstract: The ownership of one's body parts represents a fundamental aspect of self-consciousness. Accumulating empirical evidence supports the existence of this concept in humans and nonhuman primates, but it is unclear whether nonprimate mammals experience similar feelings. Therefore, the present study used rubber tails to investigate body ownership in rodents. When the real tails and rubber tails were synchronously stroked, the mice responded as if their own tails were touched when the rubber tails were grasped. In contrast, when the stimuli were delivered asynchronously, there was a significantly lower mean response rate when the rubber tail was grasped. These findings suggest that mice may experience body ownership of their tails, suggestive of the rubber hand illusion in humans.
  
  
  
  To explore the manner in which the ownership of body parts is experienced, this study specifically used the rubber hand illusion (RHI), in which self-consciousness can be extended out of one's own body. Accumulating empirical evidence supports the existence of this concept in humans and nonhuman primates, but it remains unclear whether nonprimate mammals experience similar feelings. This study demonstrated for the first time that mice may experience body ownership of their tails, which is suggestive of the RHI in humans and provides evidence that may highlight how humans experience the ownership of body parts.
authors: Systems Neuroscience Section and.|Developmental Disorders Section, Department of Rehabilitation for Brain Functions, Research Institute of National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, Tokorozawa 359-8555, Japan and.
authors: Makoto
authors: M
authors: Wada
authors: Systems Neuroscience Section and.
authors: Kouji
authors: K
authors: Takano
authors: Systems Neuroscience Section and.|Brain Science Inspired Life Support Research Center, The University of Electro-Communications, Chofu 182-8585, Japan.
authors: Hiroki
authors: H
authors: Ora
authors: Developmental Disorders Section, Department of Rehabilitation for Brain Functions, Research Institute of National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, Tokorozawa 359-8555, Japan and.
authors: Masakazu
authors: M
authors: Ide
authors: Systems Neuroscience Section and kansaku-kenji@rehab.go.jp.|Brain Science Inspired Life Support Research Center, The University of Electro-Communications, Chofu 182-8585, Japan.
authors: Kenji
authors: K
authors: Kansaku
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology*; D007088:Illusions / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013623:Tail / Q000502:physiology*; D014110:Touch / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: body ownership; mouse; rubber hand illusion; visuotactile