Crossmodal and sensorimotor integration in tactile awareness.

We investigated tactile awareness in three patients with tactile extinction of stimuli located on contralesional somatotopic space. Contralesional tactile awareness was enhanced when they gazed to the left and when they moved their limbs. We suggest that personal somatotopic and peripersonal space are integrated by polymodal and sensorimotor links, which allow us to be aware of and act effectively on stimuli in space.