BDNF as a possible modulator of EEG oscillatory response at the parietal cortex during visuo-tactile integration processes using a rubber hand

•In rubber hand illusion task, subjects extended body image to fake hand.•Congruency of rubber and real hand stimulation induced specific EEG patterns.•Gamma oscillations in left parietal cortex positively correlated with BDNF levels. Multisensory integration of visuo-tactile information presented on the body or a dummy body has a strong impact on body image. Previous researches show that alteration of body image induced by visuo-tactile integration is closely related to the activation of the parietal cortex, a sensory association area. The expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the parietal area of macaque monkeys is thought to modulate the activation of the parietal cortex and alter the extension of body image during tool-use learning. However, the relationship between parietal cortex activation related to body image alterations and BDNF levels in humans remains unclear. We investigated the relationship between human serum BDNF levels and electroencephalography responses during a visuo-tactile integration task involving a rubber hand. We found cortical oscillatory components in the high frequency (gamma) band in the left parietal cortex. Moreover, the power values of these oscillations were positively correlated (p