TY - JOUR

T1 - Sense of agency as synecdoche

T2 - Multiple neurobiological mechanisms may underlie the phenomenon summarized as sense of agency

AU - Charalampaki, Angeliki

AU - Ninija Karabanov, Anke

AU - Ritterband-Rosenbaum, Anina

AU - Bo Nielsen, Jens

AU - Roman Siebner, Hartwig

AU - Schram Christensen, Mark

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2022 Elsevier Inc.

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies on the sense of agency (SoA) have yielded heterogeneous findings identifying regional brain activity during tasks that probed SoA. In this review, we argue that the reason behind this between-study heterogeneity is a “synecdochic” way the field conceptualizes and studies SoA. Typically, a single feature is experimentally manipulated and then this is interpreted as covering all aspects of SoA. The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of the fMRI studies of SoA and attempt to provide meaningful categories whereby the heterogeneous findings may be classified. This classification is based on a separation of the experimental paradigms (Feedback Manipulations of ongoing movements, Action-Effect, and Sensory Attenuation) and type of report employed (implicit, explicit reports of graded or dichotic nature, and whether these concern self-other distinctions or sense of control). We only find that Feedback Manipulation and Action-Effect share common activation in supplementary motor area, insula and cerebellum in positive SoA and inferior frontal gyrus in the negative SoA, but observe large networks related to SoA only in Feedback Manipulation studies. To illustrate the advantages of this approach, we discuss the findings from an fMRI study which we conducted, within this framework.

AB - Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies on the sense of agency (SoA) have yielded heterogeneous findings identifying regional brain activity during tasks that probed SoA. In this review, we argue that the reason behind this between-study heterogeneity is a “synecdochic” way the field conceptualizes and studies SoA. Typically, a single feature is experimentally manipulated and then this is interpreted as covering all aspects of SoA. The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of the fMRI studies of SoA and attempt to provide meaningful categories whereby the heterogeneous findings may be classified. This classification is based on a separation of the experimental paradigms (Feedback Manipulations of ongoing movements, Action-Effect, and Sensory Attenuation) and type of report employed (implicit, explicit reports of graded or dichotic nature, and whether these concern self-other distinctions or sense of control). We only find that Feedback Manipulation and Action-Effect share common activation in supplementary motor area, insula and cerebellum in positive SoA and inferior frontal gyrus in the negative SoA, but observe large networks related to SoA only in Feedback Manipulation studies. To illustrate the advantages of this approach, we discuss the findings from an fMRI study which we conducted, within this framework.

KW - Action-effect

KW - Explicit reports

KW - Feedback manipulation

KW - fMRI

KW - Implicit measurements of sense of agency

KW - Judgments of agency

KW - Online monitoring of movements

KW - Sense of agency

KW - Sensorimotor integration

KW - Volitional movements

U2 - 10.1016/j.concog.2022.103307

DO - 10.1016/j.concog.2022.103307

M3 - Review

C2 - 35447600

AN - SCOPUS:85128273626

VL - 101

JO - Consciousness and Cognition

JF - Consciousness and Cognition

SN - 1053-8100

M1 - 103307

ER -