The ‘hand paradox’: distorted representations guide optimal actions

Published on November 20, 2022

Imagine if your body had its own funhouse mirror, where your hand would be wider and have shorter fingers. Well, it turns out that our brain does just that! In a fascinating review, Longo explains how our perception of our own hand can be distorted, with our brain making it wider and with stubby fingers. This seems counterintuitive, right? But actually, these distortions play a crucial role in helping us move and control our hands effectively. You see, to have precise motor control, we need accurate information about the structure and dimensions of our hand. By exaggerating certain features, our brain enhances our ability to perform actions efficiently. It’s like having a cheat code for optimal hand movements!

To better understand this puzzle, scientists are exploring how these distorted representations develop and how they’re processed in the brain. They’re also investigating if similar distortions occur in other body parts. Unlocking these mysteries could provide valuable insights into motor control and even potential therapies for conditions affecting body perception.

To dive deeper into this exciting research and learn more about the relationship between distorted body representations and optimal actions, check out the original article!

Distortions of body representations are not the exception but the rule. In his authoritative review, Longo [1] describes how there is a general tendency to overestimate the body width relative to the body length. For example, the perceptual representation of the hand features shortened fingers and a widened dorsum in a number of tasks and modalities (e.g., [1,2]). This raises an interesting paradox. Effective motor control requires accurate information about the structure, dimension, and position of the hand.

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