Disturbances in body ownership in schizophrenia: evidence from the rubber hand illusion and case study of a spontaneous out-of-body experience.
PLoS ONE June 10, 2016 Katharine N Thakkar, Heathman S Nichols, Lindsey G Mcintosh et al. 273 citations
People with schizophrenia experience a stronger rubber hand illusion (RHI) than matched controls, suggesting a more flexible body representation and weakened sense of self. In the RHI, watching a rubber hand being stroked while one's own unseen hand is stroked synchronously creates a sense of ownership over the rubber hand. In 24 schizophrenia patients and 21 controls, synchronous stimulation produced greater proprioceptive drift and stronger self-reported illusion in patients. Stimulation-dependent temperature changes occurred in both groups. One patient reported an out-of-body experience during the illusion, linking body disownership to psychotic experiences. The findings indicate abnormalities in temporo-parietal networks involved in body ownership, which may underlie delusions of passivity in schizophrenia.