Abstract
BackgroundBody Integrity Identity Disorder (BIID) is a condition in which individuals perceive a mismatch between their internal body scheme and physical body shape, resulting in an absolute desire to be either amputated or paralyzed. The condition is hypothesized to be of congenital nature, but evidence for a neuro-anatomical basis is sparse.MethodsWe collected T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance imaging scans on a 3T scanner in eight individuals with BIID and 24 matched healthy controls, and analyzed the data using voxel-based morphometry.ResultsThe results showed reduced grey matter volume in the left dorsal and ventral premotor cortices and larger grey matter volume in the cerebellum (lobule VIIa) in individuals with BIID compared to controls.ConclusionThe premotor cortex and cerebellum are thought to be crucial for the experience of body-ownership and the integration of multisensory information. Our results suggest that BIID is associated with structural brain anomalies and might result from a dysfunction in the integration of multisensory information, leading to the feeling of disunity between the mental and physical body shape.
Highlights
We are supposed to have an internal body scheme that can distinguish our physical body from other objects [1,2]
The results showed reduced grey matter volume in the left dorsal and ventral premotor cortices and larger grey matter volume in the cerebellum in individuals with Body Integrity Identity Disorder (BIID) compared to controls
The premotor cortex and cerebellum are thought to be crucial for the experience of bodyownership and the integration of multisensory information
Summary
We are supposed to have an internal body scheme that can distinguish our physical body from other objects [1,2]. There are cases in which persons feel that a specific body part is superfluous or alien Such is the case in stroke patients who have suffered a hemorrhage in the parietal cortex and request the nurse to remove ‘that strange leg’ from their bed [3,4,5]. Individuals with Body Integrity Identity Disorder (BIID) experience a difference between their internal body scheme and physical body shape from early youth on. Body Integrity Identity Disorder (BIID) is a condition in which individuals perceive a mismatch between their internal body scheme and physical body shape, resulting in an absolute desire to be either amputated or paralyzed. The condition is hypothesized to be of congenital nature, but evidence for a neuro-anatomical basis is sparse
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