Interoception

Interoception is the sense of the physiological state of the body, arising from signals generated by internal organs, tissues, and bodily processes. It encompasses objective detection of internal sensations (interoceptive accuracy) as well as subjective appraisal of those sensations (interoceptive sensibility). Interoceptive information helps regulate homeostasis, emotion, and motivation, and influences actions such as eating, breathing, and autonomic responses.

Signals from interoceptors travel via cranial and spinal pathways to brain regions including the brainstem, thalamus, and, prominently, the insular cortex. The anterior cingulate, somatosensory cortices, and limbic areas participate in the interpretation and regulation of bodily states. A predictive coding framework posits that the brain constantly generates expectations about bodily states and updates them with incoming interoceptive signals.

Measurement and scope: Interoception is studied through objective tasks such as heartbeat detection or discrimination, respiratory load tasks, and gastric monitoring, as well as self-report scales like questionnaires. Findings vary across modalities and tasks, and researchers emphasize a multi-method approach to capture accuracy, sensibility, and awareness.

Clinical relevance: Altered interoception is linked to anxiety and panic, mood disorders, eating disorders, and somatic symptom disorders, as well as autism spectrum conditions and alexithymia. It is thought to contribute to emotion regulation difficulties and bodily symptom perception.

Development and research directions: Interoceptive ability develops in childhood and can be affected by attention, arousal, and training. Mindfulness, biofeedback, and certain therapies aim to modulate interoceptive processing, with varying evidence for efficacy. Ongoing work investigates its neural basis, measurement reliability, and role in decision making and psychopathology.