%0 Journal Article
%T Is an artificial limb embodied as a hand? Brain decoding in prosthetic limb users
%A Roni O. Maimon-Mor
%A Tamar R. Makin
%J PLOS Biology: A Peer-Reviewed Open-Access Journal
%D 2020
%R 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000729
%X The potential ability of the human brain to represent an artificial limb as a body part (embodiment) has been inspiring engineers, clinicians, and scientists as a means to optimise human¨Cmachine interfaces. Using functional MRI (fMRI), we studied whether neural embodiment actually occurs in prosthesis users¡¯ occipitotemporal cortex (OTC). Compared with controls, different prostheses types were visually represented more similarly to each other, relative to hands and tools, indicating the emergence of a dissociated prosthesis categorisation. Greater daily life prosthesis usage correlated positively with greater prosthesis categorisation. Moreover, when comparing prosthesis users¡¯ representation of their own prosthesis to controls¡¯ representation of a similar looking prosthesis, prosthesis users represented their own prosthesis more dissimilarly to hands, challenging current views of visual prosthesis embodiment. Our results reveal a use-dependent neural correlate for wearable technology adoption, demonstrating adaptive use¨Crelated plasticity within the OTC. Because these neural correlates were independent of the prostheses¡¯ appearance and control, our findings offer new opportunities for prosthesis design by lifting restrictions imposed by the embodiment theory for artificial limbs
%K Prosthetics
%K Body limbs
%K Vision
%K Hands
%K Congenital disorders
%K Functional magnetic resonance imaging
%K Sensory perception
%K Wrist
%U https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3000729