Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40420994›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in neuroergonomics2025

Identifying EEG biomarkers of sense of embodiment in virtual reality: insights from spatio-spectral features.

Daniela Esteves, Madalena Valente, Shay Englander Bendor, Alexandre Andrade, Athanasios Vourvopoulos

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in neuroergonomics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Daniela EstevesInstitute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa), Bioengineering Department, Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisbon, Portugal.
Madalena ValenteInstitute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa), Bioengineering Department, Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisbon, Portugal.
Shay Englander BendorInstitute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa), Bioengineering Department, Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisbon, Portugal.
Alexandre AndradeInstituto de Biofísica e Engenharia Biomédica, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
Athanasios VourvopoulosInstitute for Systems and Robotics (ISR-Lisboa), Bioengineering Department, Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisbon, Portugal.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The Sense of Embodiment (SoE) refers to the subjective experience of perceiving a non-biological body part as one's own. Virtual Reality (VR) provides a powerful platform to manipulate SoE, making it a crucial factor in immersive human-computer interaction. This becomes particularly relevant in Electroencephalography (EEG)-based Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs), especially motor imagery (MI)-BCIs, which harness brain activity to enable users to control virtual avatars in a self-paced manner. In such systems, a strong SoE can significantly enhance user engagement, control accuracy, and the overall effectiveness of the interface. However, SoE assessment remains largely subjective, relying on questionnaires, as no definitive EEG biomarkers have been established. Additionally, methodological inconsistencies across studies introduce biases that hinder biomarker identification. This study aimed to identify EEG-based SoE biomarkers by analyzing frequency band changes in a combined dataset of 41 participants under standardized experimental conditions. Participants underwent virtual SoE induction and disruption using multisensory triggers, with a validated questionnaire confirming the illusion. Results revealed a significant increase in Beta and Gamma power over the occipital lobe, suggesting these as potential EEG biomarkers for SoE. The findings underscore the occipital lobe's role in multisensory integration and sensorimotor synchronization, supporting the theoretical framework of SoE. However, no single frequency band or brain region fully explains SoE. Instead, it emerges as a complex, dynamic process evolving across time, frequency, and spatial domains, necessitating a comprehensive approach that considers interactions across multiple neural networks.

Indexed as

biomarkersbrain-computer interfaceselectroencephalographymotor imagerysense of embodimentvirtual reality

Identifiers

PMID40420994
PMCPMC12104197

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.