Journal
NEUROPSYCHOLOGIA
Volume 70, Issue -, Pages 486-494Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.01.019
Keywords
Pain anticipation; Peripersonal space; Skin conductance response; Tool use; Vision
Funding
- FAR from University of Milano-Bicocca [2013-ATE-0302]
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Peripersonal space is the region closely surrounding our bodies. Within its boundaries, avoidance of threatening objects is crucial for surviving. Here we explored autonomic responses to painful stimuli with respect to the dynamic properties of the peripersonal space in healthy individuals. To this aim, in a series of experiments, we measured the Skin Conductance Response (SCR) to a noxious stimulus approaching and touching the hand, or stopping at different distances (far, near) from it. Results showed that the anticipatory response to an incoming threat is reduced if the stimulus targets a spatial position far away from the body, as compared to a near or bodily location. However, responses to far stimuli change if the boundaries of reachable space are extended further away by active tool use. Noteworthy, SCR is not influenced by a training consisting of a spatial attention task, without active tool use. This evidence sheds novel light on the adaptive role of peripersonal space, showing its importance for the coding of incoming threatening stimuli and its plasticity induced by contingent experience, such as tool use. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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