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image/svg+xml Jakob Voss, based on art designer at PLoS, modified by Wikipedia users Nina and Beao Closed Access logo, derived from PLoS Open Access logo. This version with transparent background. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Closed_Access_logo_transparent.svg Jakob Voss, based on art designer at PLoS, modified by Wikipedia users Nina and Beao
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Bodily self-consciousness varies across the menstrual cycle

Authors: Chiara Cantoni; Andrea Salaris; Alessandro Monti; Giuseppina Porciello; Salvatore Maria Aglioti;

Bodily self-consciousness varies across the menstrual cycle

Abstract

Aims: Physiological signals coming from both external and internal senses contribute to bodily self-consciousness, the basic feeling that one has a body (body ownership) that acts according to one’s will (body agency) and occupies a specific position (body location). The perception of internal signals (interoception) seems to differ between males and females, and, importantly for the present study, bodily representation changes in females according to their menstrual cycle. However, very little is known about how women integrate interoceptive and exteroceptive bodily cues and the menstrual phase in their conscious experience of the body. To fill this gap, we induced a breath-based bodily illusion (‘embreathment illusion’) that we recently described in a sample of male individuals and tested if the phase of the menstrual cycle influences the strength of the illusion in a sample of healthy young females. Materials and Methods: 15 healthy females took part in the study (age: mean ± SD = 24.67 ± 4.03 years). Participants underwent an immersive virtual reality (IVR) experience consisting of eight counterbalanced experimental conditions, combining two different avatar looks (i.e. ‘human-like’ vs. ‘wooden’ avatar) with two different points of view (i.e. first-person vs. third-person perspective) and two different breathing patterns (same vs. opposite breathing pattern as the participant). At the end of each scenario, participants answered a 5-item questionnaire on feelings of body ownership, agency, and location using a 0 to 100 visual analogue scale (VAS). Afterwards, measures of interoceptive accuracy (i.e. performance in the heartbeat counting task and pneumoception task) and sensibility (i.e. scores on the MAIA questionnaire) were collected. Results: Preliminary results showed a statistically significant main effect of feelings of bodily self-consciousness on VAS response (F=52.27; p<0.001). This main effect was qualified by an interaction between feelings of bodily self-consciousness and participants’ menstrual phase (F=2.77; p<0.05). In particular, post-hoc contrasts revealed that women in the premenstrual phase felt they controlled the avatar's movements more than participants in the menstrual phase (p<0.01). Discussion and Conclusions: The results of the experiment suggest that women do adjust their corporeal awareness to menstrual signals, with potential implications for the study of disordered bodily self-consciousness in female clinical populations (eating disorders, schizophrenia).

Country
Italy
Related Organizations
Keywords

interoception; self-consciousness; menstrual cycle; virtual reality;

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
Average
Average
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