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Behavioral and Brain Functions
Published in: Behavioral and Brain Functions 1/2011

Open Access 01-12-2011 | Review

Autoscopic phenomena: case report and review of literature

Authors: Francesca Anzellotti, Valeria Onofrj, Valerio Maruotti, Leopoldo Ricciardi, Raffaella Franciotti, Laura Bonanni, Astrid Thomas, Marco Onofrj

Published in: Behavioral and Brain Functions | Issue 1/2011

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Abstract

Background

Autoscopic phenomena are psychic illusory visual experiences consisting of the perception of the image of one's own body or face within space, either from an internal point of view, as in a mirror or from an external point of view. Descriptions based on phenomenological criteria distinguish six types of autoscopic experiences: autoscopic hallucination, he-autoscopy or heautoscopic proper, feeling of a presence, out of body experience, negative and inner forms of autoscopy.

Methods and results

We report a case of a patient with he-autoscopic seizures. EEG recordings during the autoscopic experience showed a right parietal epileptic focus. This finding confirms the involvement of the temporo-parietal junction in the abnormal body perception during autoscopic phenomena. We discuss and review previous literature on the topic, as different localization of cortical areas are reported suggesting that out of body experience is generated in the right hemisphere while he-autoscopy involves left hemisphere structures.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Autoscopic phenomena: case report and review of literature
Authors
Francesca Anzellotti
Valeria Onofrj
Valerio Maruotti
Leopoldo Ricciardi
Raffaella Franciotti
Laura Bonanni
Astrid Thomas
Marco Onofrj
Publication date
01-12-2011
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Behavioral and Brain Functions / Issue 1/2011
Electronic ISSN: 1744-9081
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1744-9081-7-2

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