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Alpha band oscillations correlate with illusory self‐location induced by virtual reality
Author(s) -
Lenggenhager Bigna,
Halje Pär,
Blanke Olaf
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
european journal of neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.346
H-Index - 206
eISSN - 1460-9568
pISSN - 0953-816X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2011.07647.x
Subject(s) - psychology , multisensory integration , neuroscience , prefrontal cortex , cognitive psychology , virtual reality , neuroimaging , electroencephalography , alpha (finance) , cognition , sensory system , developmental psychology , computer science , human–computer interaction , construct validity , psychometrics
Neuroscience of the self has focused on high‐level mechanisms related to language, memory or imagery of the self. However, recent evidence suggests that low‐level mechanisms such as multisensory and sensorimotor integration may play a fundamental role in self‐related processing. Here we used virtual reality technology and visuo‐tactile conflict to study such low‐level mechanisms and manipulate where participants experienced their self to be localized (self‐location). Frequency analysis and electrical neuroimaging of co‐recorded high‐resolution electroencephalography revealed body‐specific alpha band power modulations in bilateral sensorimotor cortices. Furthermore, alpha power in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) was correlated with the degree of experimentally manipulated self‐location. We argue that these alpha oscillations in sensorimotor cortex and mPFC reflect self‐location as manipulated through multisensory conflict.