VRBodyMem: A Virtual Full-Body Illusion for the Study of Episodic Memory

Different aspects of the bodily self, including visuospatial perspective, self-location, and body ownership, are critical factors for successful retrieval/recognition and vivid and detailed episodic memories.1 However, current research has examined visuospatial perspective taking and body ownership separately, and further research is needed to deepen the interaction between the BSC components. Based on the above rationale, the VRBodyMem project will develop a framework that manipulates not only visuospatial perspective taking (self-location) during both encoding and retrieval, but also body ownership through synchronous and asynchronous visuotactile stimulation. The project has been developed as part of the Master “Cyberspace, Behavior and E-Therapy (CYBER),” supported by the Universidade Lusófona, the Universitat de Barcelona, and the Université Paris Cité, and one of the partner universities and laboratories, the Catholic University of Milan and the Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Laboratory at the IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano. The results will be useful for understanding clinical conditions in which either/both encoding and retrieval are disembodied and for proposing innovative training solutions.