A Functionally Relevant Tool for the Body following Spinal Cord Injury

This study investigates how people with spinal cord injuries (SCI) incorporate their wheelchairs into their body image and body schema. The research explores whether this incorporation is due to changes in sensory and motor input or prolonged wheelchair use. Researchers analyzed reports from 55 wheelchair users with SCI, focusing on their experiences with wheelchair use. They used principal component analysis (PCA) to identify key factors influencing the sense of embodiment of the wheelchair. The findings suggest that the brain can integrate assistive tools like wheelchairs into the body schema. This integration depends on the degree of sensorimotor function remaining after the injury, particularly in the upper body.

• 1
  Regular wheelchair use leads to a perception that the body's boundaries are flexible and can include the wheelchair.
• 2
  The functional aspect of wheelchair embodiment is modulated by the degree of disconnected body segments, with patients retaining upper body movement showing a higher degree of functional embodiment.
• 3
  The study found that the wheelchair became a tangible substitute for the functionality of the affected body part, rather than just an extension of immobile limbs.