Document Type
Article
Publication Date
7-3-2023
Publication Source
Journal of Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies Engineering
Volume Number
10
First Page
1
Last Page
9
Publisher
SAGE
ISSN
2055-6683
E-ISSN
2055-6683
Abstract
Introduction: Electrical stimulation is increasingly relevant in a variety of medical treatments. In this study, the quality of referred sensations evoked using surface electrical stimulation was evaluated using the rubber hand and foot illusions.
Methods: The rubber hand and foot illusions were attempted under 4 conditions: (1) multi-location tapping; (2) one-location tapping; (3) electrical stimulation of sensation referred to the hand or foot; (4) asynchronous control. The strength of each illusion was quantified using a questionnaire and proprioceptive drift, where a stronger response suggested embodiment of the rubber limb.
Results: 45 able-bodied individuals and two individuals with amputations participated in this study. Overall, the illusion evoked by nerve stimulation was not as strong as illusions evoked by physically tapping but stronger than the control illusion.
Conclusion: This study has found that the rubber hand and foot illusion can be performed without touching the distal limb of the participant. Electrical stimulation that produced referred sensation in the distal extremity was realistic enough to partially incorporate the rubber limb into a person’s body image.
Keywords
Rubber hand illusion, neurorehabilitation, sensation simulation/restoration, electrical stimulation, amputation
Recommended Citation
Nguyen A, Draggoo B, Tobias B, DuBose P, Polasek K. Electrically-evoked referred sensations induce embodiment of rubber limb. Journal of Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies Engineering. 2023;10. doi:10.1177/20556683231183633
Comments
Creative Commons Non Commercial CC BY-NC: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).