Peripersonal space boundaries around the lower limbs

Abstract

Neurophysiological investigations in non-human primates have shown that bi- and tri-modal fronto-parietal neurons exist that respond to touch on the body and visual (and/or auditory) stimuli near the body. The receptive fields of these neurons extend into space around the body, producing a zone wherein multisensory information is readily integrated. This space around the body, known as peripersonal space (PPS), has also been investigated behaviourally in humans. Some studies have focused on how far into depth the spatial boundaries of PPS extend. Most of these investigations have focused on the upper body (e.g., hands, face, trunk), while little is known about the size of PPS for the lower body (i.e. legs and feet). Thus, the aim of the current study was to delineate a PPS boundary around the lower limbs in healthy participants using a multisensory interaction task. Participants made speeded responses to the presence of vibrations applied to the toes while a task-irrelevant visual stimulus approached towards (Experiment 1) or receded from (Experiment 2) the feet. Participants responded significantly faster to tactile stimuli when the visual stimulus was within approximately 73 cm from the feet, but only when it approached (and not receded from) the legs. This is the first study, to our knowledge, to outline the size of PPS for the lower limbs. These findings could provide insight into the mechanisms underlying multisensory integration in the lower limbs, and add to the current body of knowledge on PPS representations.

Keywords: Lower body; Perception; Peripersonal space; Visuo-tactile integration.