interocepciónak

Interoception is the process by which the nervous system senses, interprets, and integrates signals originating inside the body, providing a sense of the body's internal state. The form interocepciónak is used in Hungarian to refer to this concept. Interoceptive information includes signals from the heart, lungs, gut, and other viscera, as well as temperature, hunger, thirst, and chemical states, which the brain combines with prior knowledge to generate subjective feelings and guidance for behavior.

Physiological pathways underlying interoception involve afferent signals carried by the vagus nerve and spinal pathways to brain regions such as the brainstem, thalamus, insular cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and prefrontal areas. The insula, in particular, is considered central to representing the physiological condition of the body and integrating bodily states with emotion and cognition. Interoception thus links physiological regulation with emotional experience and self-awareness.

Researchers describe interoception along multiple components: objective accuracy in sensing internal states, subjective sensibility or confidence in those judgments, and metacognitive awareness of the accuracy of one’s perceptions. Common measures include heartbeat perception tasks, self-report questionnaires, and tasks that compare physiological signals with perceptual judgments. These components influence attention, decision-making, and emotional processing.

Clinical relevance is broad. Altered interoception has been associated with anxiety disorders and panic, depression, somatic symptom disorders, autism spectrum conditions, and eating disorders, though findings are heterogeneous. Training through mindfulness, body-awareness practices, and biofeedback may modulate interoceptive processing and related emotional regulation.

See also: interoception, insula, vagus nerve, somatic awareness, mindfulness.