Cortical Gyrification in Transgender Individuals.

Gender incongruence (GI) is characterized by a feeling of estrangement from the own body in the context of self. GI is often described in people who identify as transgender. The underlying mechanisms are unknown. Data from MRI measurements and tests of own body perception triggered us to pose a model that GI in transgender persons (TGI) could be associated with a disconnection within the brain circuits mediating the perception of own body as self. This is a departure from a previous model of sex atypical cerebral dimorphism, introducing a concept that better accords with a core feature of TGI. The present MRI study of 54 hormone naive transmen (TrM), 38 transwomen (TrW), 44 cismen and 41 ciswomen show that cortical gyrification, a metric that reflects early maturation of cerebral cortex, is significantly lower in transgender compared with cisgender participants. This reduction is limited to the occipito-parietal cortex and the sensory motor cortex, regions encoding own body image and body ownership. Moreover, the cortical gyrification correlated inversely with own body-self incongruence in these regions. These novel data suggest that GI in TGI may originate in the neurodevelopment of body image encoding regions. The results add potentially to understanding neurobiological contributors to gender identity.

Possible Neurobiological Underpinnings of Homosexuality and Gender Dysphoria.

Although frequently discussed in terms of sex dimorphism, the neurobiology of sexual orientation and identity is unknown. We report multimodal magnetic resonance imaging data, including cortical thickness (Cth), subcortical volumes, and resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging, from 27 transgender women (TrW), 40 transgender men (TrM), and 80 heterosexual (40 men) and 60 homosexual cisgender controls (30 men). These data show that whereas homosexuality is linked to cerebral sex dimorphism, gender dysphoria primarily involves cerebral networks mediating self-body perception. Among the homosexual cisgender controls, weaker sex dimorphism was found in white matter connections and a partly reversed sex dimorphism in Cth. Similar patterns were detected in transgender persons compared with heterosexual cisgender controls, but the significant clusters disappeared when adding homosexual controls, and correcting for sexual orientation. Instead, both TrW and TrM displayed singular features, showing greater Cth as well as weaker structural and functional connections in the anterior cingulate-precuneus and right occipito-parietal cortex, regions known to process own body perception in the context of self.

Sex differences in own and other body perception.

Own body perception, and differentiating and comparing one's body to another person's body, are common cognitive functions that have relevance for self-identity and social interactions. In several psychiatric conditions, including anorexia nervosa, body dysmorphic disorder, gender dysphoria, and autism spectrum disorder, self and own body perception, as well as aspects of social communication are disturbed. Despite most of these conditions having skewed prevalence sex ratios, little is known about whether the neural basis of own body perception differs between the sexes. We addressed this question by investigating brain activation using functional magnetic resonance imaging during a Body Perception task in 15 male and 15 female healthy participants. Participants viewed their own body, bodies of same-sex, or opposite-sex other people, and rated the degree that they appeared like themselves. We found that men and women did not differ in the pattern of brain activation during own body perception compared to a scrambled control image. However, when viewing images of other bodies of same-sex or opposite-sex, men showed significantly stronger activations in attention-related and reward-related brain regions, whereas women engaged stronger activations in striatal, medial-prefrontal, and insular cortices, when viewing the own body compared to other images of the opposite sex. It is possible that other body images, particularly of the opposite sex, may be of greater salience for men, whereas images of own bodies may be more salient for women. These observations provide tentative neurobiological correlates to why women may be more vulnerable than men to conditions involving own body perception.

Anatomical and Functional Findings in Female-to-Male Transsexuals: Testing a New Hypothesis.

Gender dysphoria (GD) is characterized by incongruence between onés gender assigned at birth and the gender that one identifies with. The biological mechanisms of GD are unclear, especially in female-to-male transsexuals (FtM-TR). Here, we investigate whether distinct structural and functional patterns along cerebral midline networks processing own-body perception may constitute a biological correlate. METHOD: MRI of functional connectivity, cortical thickness, surface area, and gray matter volume was carried out in 28 female-to-male transsexuals (FtM-TR) and 68 cis-sexual controls (34 male). FtM-TR displayed thicker mid-frontal, precuneal-parietal, and lingual cortex than both male and female controls, whereas, in regions with reported anatomical sex differences among the controls, FtM-TR followed patterns of the gender assigned at their birth. FtM-TR also displayed weaker functional connections from the pregenual anterior cingulate to the insular cortex, and the temporo parietal junction compared with both control groups. Distinct structural and functional pattern in the own-body image network may represent biological markers for the dysphoric own-body perception in transgender individuals.

Medial orbital gyrus modulation during spatial perspective changes: Pre- vs. post-8 weeks mindfulness meditation.

Mindfulness meditation exercises the ability to shift to an "observer perspective". That means learning to observe internally and externally arising stimulations in a detached perspective. Both before and after attending a 8-weeks mindfulness training (MT) participants underwent an fMRI experiment (serving as their own internal control) and solved a own-body mental transformation task, which is used to investigate embodiment and perspective taking (and an non-bodily mental transformation task as control). We found a stimulus×time-points interaction: the own-body mental transformation task (vs. non-bodily) in the post (vs. pre-MT) significantly increased activations in the medial orbital gyrus. The signal change in the right medial orbital gyrus significantly correlated with changes in a self-maturity personality scale. A brief MT caused increased activation in areas involved in self related processing and person perspective changes, together with an increase in self-maturity, consistently with the aim of mindfulness meditation that is exercising change in self perspective.

The development of multisensory body representation and awareness continues to 10 years of age: Evidence from the rubber hand illusion.

Recent research using the "rubber hand illusion" shows that the multisensory processes underlying body representations are markedly different in children of 4 to 9years and adults. In representing the position of their own hand in external space, children of this age rely more on the sight of the hand, and less on its proprioceptively felt position, than adults do. The current study investigated when during later childhood the balance between visual and proprioceptive inputs reaches an adult-like weighting. After inducing the rubber hand illusion in 10- to 13-year-olds, we asked participants to point, with eyes closed, to the perceived position of their hand. We found that pointing responses reached adult levels at 10 to 11years, showing that at this age children perceive hand location using an adult-like balance of sensory cues. We conclude that the multisensory foundations of the bodily self undergo a protracted period of development through early and mid-childhood, reaching an adult state by 10 to 11years.

Feeling bad posing as a model: an objective manner of study upward own-body comparisons in body-dissatisfied women.

Emotional effects of upward body comparisons are suggested to occur automatically. A startle reflex paradigm was used to objectively examine the emotions elicited by viewing a picture of one's own body adopting a model pose or a neutral pose, in 30 women with high body dissatisfaction (HBD) and 33 women with low body dissatisfaction (LBD). In-task emotional responses in perceived valence, arousal and control were assessed. Additionally, post-task positive/negative and body-related beauty feelings were recorded. The results revealed that HBD women, compared with LBD women, showed (i) less pleasure, higher activation and less control whilst viewing their own bodies and (ii) less pleasure, more negative/ugliness feelings and an increased startle response when viewing themselves posing as models. The data showed that their own bodies provoked an immediate negative emotional state in HBD women. However, greater aversive psychophysiological mechanisms were automatically activated only when these women posed as models, suggesting that they made upward own-body comparisons.

Inter-Network Brain Functional Connectivity in Adolescents Assigned Female at Birth Who Experience Gender Dysphoria.

Gender dysphoria (GD) is characterized by distress due to an incongruence between experienced gender and sex assigned at birth. Brain functional connectivity in adolescents who experience GD may be associated with experienced gender (vs. assigned sex) and/or brain networks implicated in own-body perception. Furthermore, sexual orientation may be related to brain functional organization given commonalities in developmental mechanisms proposed to underpin GD and same-sex attractions. Here, we applied group independent component analysis to resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) BOLD timeseries data to estimate inter-network (i.e., between independent components) timeseries correlations, representing functional connectivity, in 17 GD adolescents assigned female at birth (AFAB) not receiving gender-affirming hormone therapy, 17 cisgender girls, and 15 cisgender boys (ages 12-17 years). Sexual orientation was represented by degree of androphilia-gynephilia and sexual attractions strength. Multivariate partial least squares analyses found that functional connectivity differed among cisgender boys, cisgender girls, and GD AFAB, with the largest difference between cisgender boys and GD AFAB. Regarding sexual orientation and age, the brain's intrinsic functional organization of GD AFAB was both similar to and different from cisgender girls, and both differed from cisgender boys. The pattern of group differences and the networks involved aligned with the hypothesis that brain functional organization is different among GD AFAB (vs. cisgender) adolescents, and certain aspects of this organization relate to brain areas implicated in own-body perception and self-referential thinking. Overall, brain functional organization of GD AFAB was generally more similar to that of cisgender girls than cisgender boys.

The relationship between rigorous perception of one's own body and self, unhealthy eating behavior and a high risk of anorexic readiness: a predictor of eating disorders in the group of female ballet dancers and artistic gymnasts at the beginning of their career.

BACKGROUND: A group that is particularly exposed to eating disorders are young sportswomen who practice aesthetic disciplines, for whom it is important to keep a slim figure. Hence, the purpose of the study was to present the assessment of perception of one's own body and self as well as nutritional behavior in the group of ballet dancers and artistic gymnasts (BGA, n = 60) aged 10-12 against the background of the peer group (K, n = 60) and to determine the relationship between the studied elements, as well as anorexic readiness risk assessment to help diagnose premorbid stage of eating disorders with full symptoms. METHODS: Anthropometric measurements (height, body weight) and the assessment of adipose tissue were performed. Using a questionnaire, data on physical activity, perception of one's own body and self, and selected eating behaviors were collected. RESULTS: Underweight was observed in nearly half of the girls from the BGA group and the content of adipose tissue was significantly lower. Girls from the BGA group were characterized by overestimation of body size (p = 0.032), the need to improve their appearance/body (p = 0.025) and wanting to be the best in many areas of life (p = 0.002) significantly more often than in the K group. Moreover, they significantly more often limited the consumption of fats and carbohydrates (p = 0.044) and felt angry with themselves after too large of a meal (p = 0.050). It was shown that unhealthy eating behavior in the BGA group was significantly associated with rigorous self-perception (r = 0.42; p < 0.001). Students from the BGA group were more often exposed to a higher risk of anorexic readiness (p = 0.001). In a detailed analysis, it was found that eating behaviors, such as fasting, limiting the consumption of fats and carbohydrates, and avoiding eating under stress, were associated with feelings of dissatisfaction with oneself, the belief that appearance is extremely important in achieving life success and the need to improve appearance. CONCLUSION: The obtained research results can be used as a source of information for specialists (including dietitians and psychologists), for the preparation of educational and repair programs in the group of ballet dancers or artistic gymnasts aged 10-12, including nutritional education and psychological care.

There is a risk that rigorous self-perception may promote unhealthy eating behavior and, consequently, have a negative effect on the nutritional status, as well as pose a risk of developing eating disorders. A group that is particularly exposed to eating disorders are young sportswomen who practice aesthetic disciplines, for whom it is important to keep a slim figure. Hence, the purpose of the study was to present the assessment of perception of one's own body and self as well as nutritional behavior in the group of ballet dancers and artistic gymnasts aged 10­12 against the background of the peer group, as well as anorexic readiness risk assessment. In a detailed analysis, it was found that incorrect eating behaviors, such as fasting, limiting the consumption of fats and carbohydrates, and avoiding eating under stress, were associated with feelings of dissatisfaction with oneself, the belief that appearance is extremely important in achieving life success and the need to improve appearance.The obtained research results can be used as a source of information for specialists (including dietitians and psychologists), for the preparation of educational and repair programs in the group of ballet dancers or artistic gymnasts aged 10­12, including nutritional education and psychological care.

Action Sounds Informing Own Body Perception Influence Gender Identity and Social Cognition.

Sensory information can temporarily affect mental body representations. For example, in Virtual Reality (VR), visually swapping into a body with another sex can temporarily alter perceived gender identity. Outside of VR, real-time auditory changes to walkers' footstep sounds can affect perceived body weight and masculinity/femininity. Here, we investigate whether altered footstep sounds also impact gender identity and relation to gender groups. In two experiments, cisgender participants (26 females, 26 males) walked with headphones which played altered versions of their own footstep sounds that sounded more typically male or female. Baseline and post-intervention measures quantified gender identity [Implicit Association Test (IAT)], relation to gender groups [Inclusion of the Other-in-the-Self (IOS)], and perceived masculinity/femininity. Results show that females felt more feminine and closer to the group of women (IOS) directly after walking with feminine sounding footsteps. Similarly, males felt more feminine after walking with feminine sounding footsteps and associated themselves relatively stronger with "female" (IAT). The findings suggest that gender identity is temporarily malleable through auditory-induced own body illusions. Furthermore, they provide evidence for a connection between body perception and an abstract representation of the Self, supporting the theory that bodily illusions affect social cognition through changes in the self-concept.

Feeling Oneself Requires Embodiment: Insights From the Relationship Between Own-Body Transformations, Schizotypal Personality Traits, and Spontaneous Bodily Sensations.

Subtle bodily sensations such as itching or fluttering that occur in the absence of any external trigger (i.e., spontaneous sensations, or SPS) may serve to locate the spatial boundaries of the body. They may constitute the normal counterpart of extreme conditions in which body-related hallucinations and perceptual aberrations are experienced. Previous investigations have suggested that situations in which the body is spontaneously experienced as being deformed are related to the ability to perform own-body transformations, i.e., mental rotations of the body requiring disembodiment. We therefore decided to consider whether the perception of SPS might relate to embodiment as assessed through (i) the ability to perform own-body transformations (OBT task) and (ii) schizotypal traits (Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire, or SPQ), since high degrees of schizotypy in the general population have been associated with more vivid perceptions and aberrant perceptual experiences. Then participants completed a standard SPS task. Our analysis revealed that the slower the response time in the OBT task, the more frequent the perception of SPS. This suggests that difficulties in disembodying and mentally transforming one's own body facilitate feeling oneself. Furthermore, a greater number of correct responses in the OBT task was associated with less frequent perception of SPS. This suggests that finding it easier to disembody and perform mental own-body transformations interferes with the ability to sense oneself. The results also show that higher schizotypal traits, as assessed through the SPQ, are associated with more frequent perception of SPS. Taken together, these results provide a coherent picture and suggest that embodiment is required in order to correctly feel oneself, as expressed through the perception of SPS. The ability to easily experience disembodiment reduces the sense of feeling oneself, and proneness to schizotypal traits produces body misperceptions that enhance and amplify this feeling. The results are discussed in the light of current knowledge and theories about body representations, taking into account attention and interoception as factors that influence body awareness. We offer explanations for perceptual aberrations, body-related delusions, and hallucinations based on misperceived or misinterpreted SPS, and we discuss possible mechanisms that may contribute to feeling and misperceiving oneself.

Evaluation of the own body in women with current and remitted borderline personality disorder: evidence for long-lasting effects of childhood sexual abuse.

BACKGROUND: Evaluation of one's own body highly depends on psychopathology. In contrast to healthy women, body evaluation is negative in women from several diagnostic groups. Particularly negative ratings have been reported in disorders related to childhood sexual abuse (CSA) including borderline personality disorder (BPD). However, it is unknown whether this negative evaluation persists beyond symptomatic remission, whether it depends on the topography of body areas (sexually connoted versus neutral areas), and whether it depends on CSA. OBJECTIVE: First, we aimed at a quantitative comparison of body evaluation across three diagnostic groups: current BPD (cBPD), remitted BPD (rBPD), and healthy controls (HC). Second, we aimed at clarifying the potentially moderating role of a history of CSA and of the sexual connotation of body areas. METHODS: The study included 68 women from the diagnostic groups of interest (cBPD, rBPD, and HC). These diagnoses were established with the International Personality Disorder Examination. The participants used the Survey of Body Areas to quantify the evaluation of the own body and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire for assessing CSA. RESULTS: While the evaluation of the own body was generally negative in women from the cBPD group it was positive in those who had remitted from BPD. However, their positive scores were strictly confined to neutral body areas, whereas the evaluation of sexually connoted body areas was negative, resembling the respective evaluation in cBPD patients and contrasting the positive evaluation of sexually connoted areas in healthy women. The negative evaluation of sexually connoted areas in remitted women was significantly related to a history of CSA. CONCLUSIONS: Women with BPD may require a specifically designed intervention to achieve a positive evaluation of their entire body. The evaluation of sexually connoted body areas seems to remain an issue even after remission from the disorder has been achieved.

Antecedentes: La evaluación del cuerpo propio depende en gran parte de la psicopatología. En contraste con mujeres sanas, la evaluación del cuerpo es negativa en mujeres de diferentes grupos diagnósticos. Evaluaciones particularmente negativas han sido reportadas en trastornos relacionados al abuso sexual infantil (CSA por sus siglas en inglés), incluyendo el trastorno de personalidad límite (BPD por sus siglas en inglés). Sin embargo, no se conoce si esta evaluación negativa persiste al alcanzar la remisión sintomática, si es que depende de la topografía de las áreas del cuerpo (áreas con connotación sexual versus neutras), y si depende del antecedente de CSA.Objetivo: Primero, dirigimos una comparación cuantitativa de la evaluación corporal en tres grupos diagnósticos: BPD actual (cBPD), BPD en remisión (rBPD) y controles sanos (HC por sus siglas en inglés). En segundo lugar, intentamos clarificar el potencial rol moderador de una historia de CSA y de la connotación sexual de las áreas corporales.Métodos: El estudio incluyó 68 mujeres de los grupos diagnósticos de interés (cBPD, rBPD y HC). Estos diagnósticos fueron establecidos con el Examen Internacional de Trastornos de Personalidad. Las participantes completaron la Encuesta de Áreas Corporales para cuantificar la evaluación del cuerpo propio y el Cuestionario de Trauma Infantil para evaluar CSA.Resultados: Mientras la evaluación del cuerpo propio fue generalmente negativa en mujeres del grupo cBPD, fue positiva en aquellas con BPD en remisión. Sin embargo, sus puntajes positivos fueron estrictamente circunscritos a las áreas del cuerpo neutrales, mientras que la evaluación de las áreas del cuerpo con connotación sexual fue negativa, y símiles a la evaluación de las pacientes del grupo cBPD, y contrastando con la evaluación positiva de las áreas con connotación sexual de las mujeres sanas. La evaluación negativa de áreas del cuerpo con connotación sexual en las mujeres en remisión fue relacionada significativamente con una historia de CSA.Conclusiones: Las mujeres con BPD pueden requerir una intervención específicamente diseñada para alcanzar una evaluación positiva de su cuerpo completo. La evaluación de áreas del cuerpo con connotación sexual parece permanecer problemática incuso posterior a que la remisión del trastorno ha sido alcanzada.

Behavioral Own-Body-Transformations in Children and Adolescents With Typical Development, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Developmental Coordination Disorder.

Background: In motor imitation, taking a partner's perspective often involves a mental body transformation from an embodied, ego-centered viewpoint to a disembodied, hetero-centered viewpoint. Impairments of both own-body-transformation (OBT) and abnormalities in visual-spatial processing have been reported in patients with neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In the context of a visual-motor interactive task, studying OBT impairments while disentangling the contribution of visual-spatial impairments associated with motor coordination problems has not been investigated. Methods: 85 children and adolescents (39 controls with typical development, TD; 29 patients with ASD; 17 patients with developmental coordination disorder, DCD), aged 6-19 years, participated in a behavioral paradigm in which participants interacted with a virtual tightrope walker (TW) standing and moving with him. The protocol enables to distinguish ego-centered and hetero-centered perspectives. Results: We show that (1) OBT was possible but difficult for children with neurodevelopmental disorders, as well as for TD children, when the task required the participant to perform a mental rotation in order to adopt a hetero-centered perspective. (2) Using multivariate models, hetero-centered perspective score was significantly associated with age, TW orientation, latency, and diagnosis. ASD and TD groups' performances were close and significantly correlated with age. However, it was not the case for DCD, since this group was specifically handicapped by visual-spatial impairments. (3) ASD and DCD did not perform similarly: motor performance as shown by movement amplitude was better in DCD than ASD. ASD motor response was more ambiguous and hardly readable. Conclusion: Changing perspective in a spatial environment is possible for patients with ASD although delayed compared with TD children. In patients with DCD, their visual-spatial impairments negatively modulated their performances in the experiment.

Mental body transformation deficits in patients with chronic balance disorders.

BACKGROUND: Movements may be generated consistent with imagining one's own body transformed or "disembodied" to a new position. Based on this concept we hypothesized that patients with objective balance deficits (obj-BD) would have altered neural transformation processes executing own body transformation (OBT) with functional consequences on balance control. Also we examined whether feeling unstable due to dizziness only (DO), without an obj-BD, also lead to an impaired OBT. METHODS: 32 patients with chronic dizziness were tested: 16 patients with obj-BD as determined by balance control during a sequence of stance and gait tasks, 16 patients with dizziness only (DO). Patients and 9 healthy controls (HCs) were asked to replicate roll trunk movements of an instructor in a life size video: first, with spontaneously copied (SPO) or "embodied" egocentric movements (lean when the instructor leans); second, with "disembodied" or "transformed" movements (OBT) with exact replication - lean left when the instructor leans left. Onset latency of trunk roll, rise time to peak roll angle (interval), roll velocity, and amplitude were measured. RESULTS: SPO movements were always mirror-imaged. OBT task latencies were significantly longer and intervals shorter than for SPO tasks (p < 0.03) for all groups. Obj-BD but not DO patients had more errors for the OBT task and, compared to HCs, had longer onset latencies (p < 0.05) and smaller velocities (p < 0.003) and amplitudes (p < 0.001) in both the SPO and OBT tasks. Measures of DO patients were not significantly different from those of HCs. CONCLUSIONS: Mental transformation (OBT) and SPO copying abilities are impaired in subjects with obj-BD and dizziness, but not with dizziness only. We conclude that processing the neuropsychological representation of the human body (body schema) slows when balance control is deficient.

Observed bodies generate object-based spatial codes.

Contemporary studies of spatial and social cognition frequently use human figures as stimuli. The interpretation of such studies may be complicated by spatial compatibility effects that emerge when researchers employ spatial responses, and participants spontaneously code spatial relationships about an observed body. Yet, the nature of these spatial codes - whether they are location- or object-based, and coded from the perspective of the observer or the figure - has not been determined. Here, we investigated this issue by exploring spatial compatibility effects arising for objects held by a visually presented whole-bodied schematic human figure. In three experiments, participants responded to the colour of the object held in the figure's left or right hand, using left or right key presses. Left-right compatibility effects were found relative to the participant's egocentric perspective, rather than the figure's. These effects occurred even when the figure was rotated by 90° to the left or to the right, and the coloured objects were aligned with the participant's midline. These findings are consistent with spontaneous spatial coding from the participant's perspective and relative to the normal upright orientation of the body. This evidence for object-based spatial coding implies that the domain general cognitive mechanisms that result in spatial compatibility effects may contribute to certain spatial perspective-taking and social cognition phenomena.

Perspectivas filosóficas a partir del problema del suicidio / Philosophical perspectives from the problem of suicide / Perspectivas filosóficas a partir do problema do suicídio

Resumen Varias de las actuales discusiones bioéticas parten del supuesto de que tenemos absoluto dominio/disposición sobre nuestro cuerpo. Bajo la tesis de la autonomía, del dominio de la vida propia y de la libertad para hacer cualquier cosa, al menos con nuestro cuerpo, se suele justificar la bondad o legitimidad de actos como el suicidio y la eutanasia. Supuesto lo anterior, el trabajo aborda la cuestión de la naturaleza de la disposición -principal atributo del dominio o propiedad- sobre el cuerpo. Se argumentará sobre la base de la teoría de Tomás de Aquino y de la exposición de Immanuel Kant, muchas veces consideradas, erróneamente a mi juicio, como doctrinas rivales. El escrito estará orientado a revisar las relaciones del moderno principio de autonomía con la problemática de la moralidad del suicidio.

Abstract Many of the actual bioethical discussions start from the assumption that we have absolute dominance/disposition over our body. Based on the thesis of autonomy, control over one's own life and the freedom to do anything, at least with one's body, the goodness or legitimacy of acts such as suicide and euthanasia are often justified. Considering the last statements, this paper seeks to approach the question of the nature of the disposition -main attribute of dominion or property- over the body. It will be argued on the basis of Thomas Aquinas' theory and Immanuel Kant's exposition, often wrongly considered, in my opinion, as rival doctrines. The whole writing will be oriented to review the relations of the modern principle of autonomy with the problem of the morality of suicide.

Resumo Várias das atuais discussões bioéticas partem do pressuposto de que temos absoluto domínio/disposição sobre nosso corpo. Sob a tese da autonomia, do domínio da vida própria e da liberdade para fazer qualquer coisa, ao menos com nosso corpo, costuma-se justificar a bondade ou legitimidade de atos como o suicídio e a eutanásia. Levando em consideração o anterior, este trabalho pretende abordar a questão da natureza da disposição -principal atributo do domínio ou da propriedade- sobre o corpo. Argumenta-se com base na teoria de Tomás de Aquino e na exposição de Immanuel Kant, muitas vezes conceituadas, erroneamente, em minha opinião, como doutrinas rivais. Este texto estará orientado a revisar as relações do moderno princípio de autonomia com a problemática da moralidade do suicídio.

Hans Bellmer e sua pequena anatomia da imagem: corpo próprio e psicanálise / Hans Bellmer and your little anatomy of the image: own body and psychoanalysis / Hans Bellmer et sa petite anatomie de limage: propre corps et psychanalyse / Hans Bellmer y su pequeña anatomía de la imagen: cuerpo propio y psicoanálisis

Resumo Em Petite Anatomie de l'image (1949), o artista Hans Bellmer formula uma teoria da imagem do corpo que parte da premissa de que a anatomia humana é subjetiva, imaginária e até permeada por estados psicopatológicos. Assim, Bellmer mostra um corpo interno desenhado por traços de memória e por uma imagem puramente psíquica, ou seja, ele coloca em cena o corpo pulsional. Diante dessa obra, perguntamos o que o artista ensina à psicanálise lacaniana sobre o corpo próprio e sua representação, conceitos importantes para a clínica. Nesse sentido, uma indicação valiosa orientará esta discussão: o segredo da imagem é a castração.

Abstract In Petite Anatomie de l'image (1949), Hans Bellmer, an artist, describes a body image theory that assumes human anatomy to be subjective, imagined, and even permeated by psychopathological states. Thus, Bellmer shows an inner body designed by memory traces and purely mental image, that is, he introduces an instinctual body. Based on his work, we analyze what artists can teach lacanian psychoanalysis regarding one's own body and its representation, as they are important concepts for work in the clinic. Thus, a valuable indication guides this discussion: the secret of image is castration.

Résumé Dans Petite Anatomie de l'image (1949), l'artiste Hans Bellmer formule une théorie de l'image du corps partant du principe que l'anatomie humaine est subjective, imaginaire, et même imprégnée d'états psychopathologiques. Ainsi, Bellmer montre un corps interne, dessiné par des traces de mémoire et par une image purement psychique, c'est-à-dire qu'il met le corps pulsionnel dans la scène. Devant cet oeuvre, nous demandons ce que l'artiste enseigne au psychanalyste lacanien sur le corps et sa représentation, de concepts importants pour la clinique. L'affirmation suivante guidera notre discussion : le secret de l'image est la castration.

Resumen En Petite Anatomie de l'image (1949), el artista Hans Bellmer plantea una teoría de la imagen del cuerpo, que parte de la premisa de que la anatomía humana es subjetiva, imaginaria e incluso permeada por estados psicopatológicos. Así Bellmer muestra un cuerpo interno, dibujado por rasgos de memoria y por una imagen puramente psíquica, es decir, pone en escena el cuerpo pulsional. Con base en esta obra, nos preguntamos qué enseña el artista al psicoanálisis lacaniano en cuanto al cuerpo propio y su representación, conceptos importantes para la clínica. En este sentido, una valiosa indicación orientará esta discusión: el secreto de la imagen es la castración.

Strategy modulates spatial perspective-taking: evidence for dissociable disembodied and embodied routes.

Previous research provides evidence for a dissociable embodied route to spatial perspective-taking that is under strategic control. The present experiment investigated further the influence of strategy on spatial perspective-taking by assessing whether participants may also elect to employ a separable "disembodied" route loading on inhibitory control mechanisms. Participants (N = 92) undertook both the "own body transformation" (OBT) perspective-taking task, requiring speeded spatial judgments made from the perspective of an observed figure, and a control task measuring ability to inhibit spatially compatible responses in the absence of a figure. Perspective-taking performance was found to be related to performance on the response inhibition control task, in that participants who tended to take longer to adopt a new perspective also tended to show a greater elevation in response times when inhibiting spatially compatible responses. This relationship was restricted to those participants reporting that they adopted the perspective of another by reversing left and right whenever confronted with a front-view figure; it was absent in those participants who reported perspective-taking by mentally transforming their spatial orientation to align with that of the figure. Combined with previously published results, these findings complete a double dissociation between embodied and disembodied routes to spatial perspective-taking, implying that spatial perspective-taking is subject to modulation by strategy, and suggesting that embodied routes to perspective-taking may place minimal demands on domain general executive functions.

Visual perspective taking and laterality decisions: Problems and possible solutions.

Perspective taking plays an important role in different areas of psychological and neuroscientific research. Visual perspective taking is an especially prominent approach generally using one of two experimental tasks: in the own-body-transformation task observers are asked to judge the laterality of a salient feature of a human figure (e.g., is the glove on the left or right hand?) from the figure's perspective. In the avatar-in-scene task they decide about the laterality of objects in a scene (e.g., is the flower on the left or right?) from the avatar's point of view. Increases in latencies and/or errors are interpreted as originating from additional cognitive processes predominately described as observer-based perspective transformations. A closer look reveals that such an account is disputable on grounds related to the use of laterality judgments. Other transformation accounts, i.e., object or array transformations, as well as non-transformational accounts, i.e., extra processing due to spatial conflicts, have not been adequately considered, tested, or ruled out by existing research. Our review examines visual perspective tasks in detail, identifies problems and makes recommendations for future research.

Fenomenologia e Educação Física: uma revisão dos conceitos de corpo e motricidade / Phenomenology and Physical Education: a review of the body and motricity's concepts / Fenomenología y Educación Física: una revisión del conceptos de cuerpo y motricidad

Este trabalho caracteriza-se como uma revisão de literatura, um estudo bibliográfico, acerca dos conceitos de corpo e motricidade existentes na Fenomenologia da Percepção, de Merleau-Ponty. O objetivo deste trabalho foi evidenciar os conceitos de corpo e motricidade em Merleau-Ponty e identificar implicações para a área da Educação Física. A pesquisa na Fenomenologia de Merleau-Ponty aponta para um redimensionamento do olhar sobre o ser humano e a forma de ser no mundo. O movimento é compreendido como linguagem sensível que manifesta a intenção do ser em relação ao mundo, ao espaço, aos outros, às coisas, favorecendo a uma ampliação na concepção de corpo que historicamente se instituiu na Educação Física: do corpo enquanto objeto de estudo para também considerá-lo como corpo sujeito. Além de ser orgânico, o corpo é social, cultural e histórico e aprende por meio de sua corporeidade.

This work is characterized as a literature review, a bibliographic study, about the existing body and motricity concepts in the Phenomenology of Perception, from Merleau-Ponty. The objective of this study was to demonstrate the concepts of body and motricity in Merleau-Ponty and identify implications for the field of Physical Education. The research in Merleau-Ponty's Phenomenology indicates a reshaping the look on the human being and the way of being in the world. The movement is understood as sensitive language that expresses the being's intention in relation to the world, to space, to others, to things, favoring an amplification in the concept of the body that historically was instituted to Physical Education: the body as an object of study; to also consider it as subject body. Besides being organic, the body is social, cultural and historical.

Esta obra se caracteriza como una revisión de la literatura, un estudio bibliográfico, sobre los conceptos de cuerpo y motricidad existente en la Fenomenología de la Percepción, en Merleau-Ponty. El objetivo de este estudio fue demostrar los conceptos de cuerpo y motricidad en Merleau-Ponty y identificar las implicaciones para el campo de la Educación Física. La investigación en la Fenomenología de Merleau-Ponty indica una nueva mirada en el ser humano y como estar en el mundo. El movimiento se entiende como un lenguaje sensible manifestando la intención de estar en relación con el mundo, al espacio, a los demás, a las cosas, favoreciendo una ampliación en el concepción del cuerpo que históricamente fue instituido en la Educación Física: el cuerpo como un objeto de estudio; para también considerarlo como un cuerpo sujeto. Además de ser orgánico, el cuerpo es social, cultural e histórico.