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Data from: Spatial localization of anterior precuneus for bodily self validated with brain stimulation

Data files

May 09, 2023 version files 3.61 MB

Abstract

The posteromedial cortex (PMC), comprising the precuneus, the posterior cingulate, and the retrosplenial regions, is known to be engaged in various self-referential functions. Recent observations have also suggested a link between PMC dysfunction and self-dissociation. To test the causal relevance of specific PMC locations for self- referential processing, we recruited nine neurosurgical participants with bilaterally implanted PMC electrodes. We applied focal electrical stimulation within discrete PMC sites while probing changes in the participants’ subjective states. We found that, in all nine participants, the electrical perturbation of the anterior precuneus (aPCu), but not the other PMC sites, caused apparent dissociative changes in the physical and spatial bodily domain involving head, trunk, and legs. The responsive aPCu sites did not exhibit event-related activation during a cued autobiographical memory recall task. Furthermore, resting-state functional connectivity with functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging data and effective connectivity with single-pulse electrical stimulation procedures confirmed that the responsive aPCu sites were distinct from, while closely connected with, the adjacent PMC nodes of the default mode network (DMN). Based on these data, we conclude that the aPCu is a distinct functional unit within the PMC and causally important for processing self-referential information in the physical and spatial domains. Future larger-scale experimental studies are needed to explore how operations of distinct neuronal populations within the PMC are integral to various cognitive processes that require a reference to self in its various dimension.