2008 Volume 10 Issue 2 Pages 191-198
The 'body image' is a sense of ownership of our own body. Some report shows the body image is induced by the integration of cross-modal perception, such as, visual, tactile and proprioceptive perception. Other report indicates that synchronized cross-modal stimuli could induce the body image to visible object and subjects experienced that the visible object was recognizable as a part of their body. Accordingly, the development of new interface system for virtual reality is expected by using the body image. However, the body image is subjective experience and is hard to observe objectively. In this paper, we examine whether the measurement of brain activation using Near Infra-red Spectroscopy (NIRS) would able to observe the body image which is induced by cross-modal stimulation. In this experiment, the brain activation was measured around the temporal lobe to the occipital lobe, and asynchronously visual and proprioception stimuli have given to the subjects synchronously to change their body image. As a result, brain activities were observed around the Superior Temporal Sulcus (STS), the inferior parietal areas and the Extrastriate Body Area (EBA) which is reported that related to distinction of other body. Controversially, Subjects reported that they experienced the body image to the CG model displayed as visual stimuli. Our result shows there are some possibilities that the body image would be induced by some inconsistent cross-modal stimuli.
