Neural bases of the bodily self as revealed by electrical brain stimulation: A systematic review

• Published in: Human brain mapping 2023-05, Vol.44 (7), p.2936-2959
• Main Authors: Dary, Zoé, Lenggenhager, Bigna, Lagarde, Stanislas, Medina Villalon, Samuel, Bartolomei, Fabrice, Lopez, Christophe
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amygdala; bodily self; Body Image; Brain; Brain - physiology; Brain tumors; Cingulum; Cortex (parietal); Electric Stimulation; electrical brain stimulation; Electrical stimulation of the brain; Epilepsy; ESB; Hippocampus; Humans; Life Sciences; Literature reviews; Neuroimaging; Neurons and Cognition; parietal cortex; Parietal Lobe - physiology; Review; self consciousness; Stereotaxic Techniques; Stimulation; Supplementary motor area; Systematic review
• ISSN: 1065-9471; 1097-0193
• DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26253

An increasing amount of recent research has focused on the multisensory and neural bases of the bodily self. This pre‐reflective form of self is considered as multifaceted, incorporating phenomenal components, such as self location, body ownership, first‐person perspective, agency, and the perceptual body image. Direct electrical brain stimulation (EBS) during presurgical evaluation of epilepsy and brain tumor resection is a unique method to causally relate specific brain areas to the various phenomenal components of the bodily self. We conducted a systematic review of the literature describing altered phenomenal experience of the bodily self evoked by EBS. We included 42 articles and analyzed self reports from 221 patients. Three‐dimensional density maps of EBS revealed that stimulation in the middle cingulum, inferior parietal lobule, supplementary motor area, posterior insula, hippocampal complex/amygdala, and precuneus most consistently altered one or several components of the bodily self. In addition, we found that only EBS in the parietal cortex induced disturbances of all five components of the bodily self considered in this review article. These findings inform current neuroscientific models of the bodily self. We searched for the brain areas causally underpinning the bodily self using electrical brain stimulation (EBS). EBS of six brain areas most consistently altered the bodily self across studies (middle cingulum, inferior parietal lobule, supplementary motor area, posterior insula, hippocampal complex/amygdala, and precuneus). Only EBS in the parietal cortex induced disturbances of all components of the bodily self (self location, body ownership, first‐person perspective, agency, and the perceptual body image).