Proprioceptive drift in the rubber hand illusion predicts action reproduction accuracy

The neural representation of the body is highly flexible and can be altered by integrating multisensory signals in the brain. The rubber hand illusion (RHI) is a widely used paradigm to investigate this phenomenon; participants experience ownership of a rubber hand and perceive their real hand as shifting toward the rubber hand’s location, a phenomenon known as proprioceptive drift. Although individual differences in the extent of this drift are well documented, it remains unclear whether such differences are related to specific aspects of motor function. In this study, we examined the relationship between the magnitude of proprioceptive drift during the RHI and the ability of individuals to imitate and reproduce elbow movements. Our results revealed a significant correlation between the magnitude of proprioceptive drift and the accuracy of action reproduction but not imitation. These findings suggest that altered body representation may selectively influence the motor processes involved in action reproduction, highlighting the interplay between body ownership and motor control.