Body schema is a term used to describe the mental representation of the body and parts of the body. It is an important concept in the field of neuroscience, as it is related to the perception and understanding of one’s body and its movements in space. It is also closely linked to motor control, as it helps the brain understand the body’s position in relation to its environment.
The concept of body schema was first introduced by French neurologist Pierre Marie in the late 19th century (Marie, 1897). Since then, researchers have studied how it is acquired and maintained and how it is affected by changes in the environment. Studies have found that body schema is largely affected by proprioceptive and visual-motor information (Blankenburg, 1954; Morgan, 1965; Berthoz, 1972). Proprioception is the sense of one’s body in space and its position relative to other objects. Visual-motor information is what the eyes detect and the information sent to the brain about the body’s movements in relation to its environment.
Research has also shown that body schema is important for motor control and movement (Van Beers et al., 2001). Studies have found that when the body schema is disrupted due to changes in the environment, such as when walking on uneven surfaces, motor control is impaired (Morrison et al., 2003; Sainburg et al., 2004). This suggests that body schema is a crucial part of the motor system and plays an important role in motor control.
In addition to its role in motor control, body schema has also been linked to cognitive processes such as spatial memory and planning (Cohen et al., 2003; Law et al., 2004). Studies have found that disruption of body schema can impair spatial memory and planning (Law et al., 2004; Loomis et al., 2005). This suggests that body schema is an important factor in the way humans process spatial information.
Overall, body schema is a complex concept that plays an important role in the way the brain perceives and understands the body’s position and movements in relation to its environment. It is closely linked to motor control and has been found to be important for spatial memory and planning.
References
Blankenburg, W. (1954). The problem of body schema in psychology. Psychological Review, 61(3), 257–274.
Berthoz, A. (1972). Body schema and body image in animals and man. New York: Academic Press.
Morgan, M.J. (1965). Body schema and body image. Psychological Review, 72(2), 184–200.
Van Beers, R., Sainburg, R.L., Chiel, H.J., & Poizner, H. (2001). Role of body schema in the control of arm movements. Psychological Science, 12(2), 123–129.
Morrison, S., Sainburg, R.L., & Ghez, C. (2003). The role of body schema in the control of arm movements. Trends in Neurosciences, 26(8), 437–443.
Sainburg, R.L., Krakauer, J.W., & Ghez, C. (2004). Disruption of body schema in Parkinson’s disease. Science, 304(5668), 115–117.
Cohen, M.A., Law, J., & Spence, C. (2003). Perceptual-motor integration in spatial memory and planning. Memory & Cognition, 31(4), 623–633.
Law, J., Spence, C., & Cohen, M.A. (2004). Body schema and spatial memory. Cognitive Psychology, 48(1), 1–37.
Loomis, J.M., Klatzky, R.L., Golledge, R.G., & Philbeck, J.W. (2005). Effects of body schema disruption on spatial memory and planning. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 11(3), 212–220.
Marie, P. (1897). Contribution a l’etude de la schema corporal. Revue Neurologique, 5, 67–71.