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Group picture of Rebecca Böhme's research group during a lab meeting in a conference room.

Research projects

Project 1

Self-other-distinction in the spinal cord

What are the mechanisms behind the distinction between self- and other? How do top-down and bottom-up pathways interact to facilitate distinct processing of self- and other-generated sensations? Does this distinction already occur in the spinal cord through integration of peripheral and cortical signals? To answer these questions, we utilize an innovative neuroimaging technique, which combines functional imaging of the cortex and of the spinal cord.

Rebecca Böhme, Adam Enmalm and Reinoud Kaldewaij sit and monitor a scan at CMIV, Campus US.Rebecca Böhme (center), Adam Enmalm (left) and Reinoud Kaldewaij (right) are running a functional imaging scan of a person's brain and spinal cord simultaneously at CMIV, Campus US.

Project 2

Self-other-distinction in psychiatry

Is tactile self-other-distinction related to the symptom domain of self-disturbances in schizophrenia? Do patients with schizophrenia, a condition known to involve self-related dysfunctions, exhibit altered self-other-distinction already at early touch processing stages? Here, we aim to contribute to the question if and how altered somatosensation and interoception in schizophrenia relate to a dysfunctional sense of self. We furthermore pursue the new idea that signs of a reduced self-other-distinction might be already present at the spinal cord level.

 

Rebecca Böhme.Rebecca Böhme. Photo credit THOR BALKHED

Project 3

Self-other-distinction in an altered state of self

How does a pharmacologically altered self-perception affect self-other-distinction? Does the experience of transient dissociative symptoms affect self-other-distinction? If the self and tactile self-other-distinction are intertwined, alterations of the perceived self-boundaries will, in turn, affect tactile processing. This study uses a pharmacological intervention to provide insights into the coupling of social tactile signals with the experience as a self.

Photo credit THOR BALKHED