Evidence for dissociable representations for body image and body schema from a patient with visual neglect.

The existence of independent and dissociable representations of the body within the brain for perception (body image) and action (body schema) is currently under debate. Although demonstrations in which fake limbs are incorporated into the body image but not body schema are commonplace, such findings can be explained due to the strength of the illusion rather than autonomous representations. The current study, however, offers striking evidence in favor of a clear dissociation in a patient with visual neglect, such that different fake limbs were incorporated into the body image and body schema simultaneously.