Résumé
Distortions of body representations are
not the exception but the rule. In his author-
itative review, Longo [1] describes how
there is a general tendency to overestimate
the body width relative to the body length.
For example, the perceptual representation
of the hand features shortened fingers and
a widened dorsum in a number of tasks
and modalities (e.g., [1,2]). This raises an
interesting paradox. Effective motor control
requires accurate information about the
structure, dimension, and position of the
hand. How can highly distorted represen-
tations of the hand be compatible with
skilled manual action [1,3]?