Lower limb peripersonal space and the desire to amputate a leg

Body integrity identity disorder (BIID) is a rare condition defined by a persistent desire to amputate or paralyze a healthy limb (usually one or both of the legs). This desire arises from experiencing a mismatch between the internal body model and the actual physical/functional boundaries of the body. People with BIID show an abnormal physiological response to stimuli approaching the affected (unwanted) but not the unaffected leg, which might suggest a retracted peripersonal space (PPS: a multisensory integration zone near the body) around the unwanted limb. Thus, using a visuo-tactile interaction task, we examined leg PPS in a group of healthy men and three men with BIID who desired unilateral leg amputation. PPS size (~ 70 cm) around the unwanted BIID legs did not differ from that of healthy controls. Although the leg feels foreign in BIID, it still seems to maintain a PPS, presumably to protect it and facilitate interactions within the surrounding environment.