La ilusión de la mano de goma: factores implicados, bases neurales y aplicaciones clínicas

Abstract

The “Rubber Hand Illusion” is a procedure aimed to induce the sensation of an own hand through the efficient utilization of a false one in healthy people. Some modifications in original methods could weaken or even abolish the illusion. In addition, several personality traits could be involved in the intensity of subjective perception of the illusion, and some psychopathological traits could facilitate it. The neural substrate underlying to this cognitive phenomenon is very uncertain, even the current research have found several correlations between activity of some cerebral areas and the performance of illusion. The body awareness is an essential factor to a suitable interaction with the environment, and the disturbance of this process may cause serious mental diseases. The progress made at the Rubber Hand Illusion has helped to explore several fields where this procedure might be a good tool to detect some pathologies and their treatment.