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Discrepancies between dimensions of interoception in autism: implications for emotion and anxiety

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posted on 2023-06-08, 23:56 authored by Sarah Garfinkel, Claire Tiley, Stephanie O'Keeffe, Neil Harrison, Anil SethAnil Seth, Hugo CritchleyHugo Critchley
Emotions and affective feelings are influenced by one's internal state of bodily arousal via interoception. Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC) are associated with difficulties in recognising others' emotions, and in regulating own emotions. We tested the hypothesis that, in people with ASC, such affective differences may arise from abnormalities in interoceptive processing. We demonstrated that individuals with ASC have reduced interoceptive accuracy (quantified using heartbeat detection tests) and exaggerated interoceptive sensibility (subjective sensitivity to internal sensations on self-report questionnaires), reflecting an impaired ability to objectively detect bodily signals alongside an over-inflated subjective perception of bodily sensations. The divergence of these two interoceptive axes can be computed as a trait prediction error. This error correlated with deficits in emotion sensitivity and occurrence of anxiety symptoms. Our results indicate an origin of emotion deficits and affective symptoms in ASC at the interface between body and mind, specifically in expectancy-driven interpretation of interoceptive information.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Accepted version

Journal

Biological Psychology

ISSN

0301-0511

Publisher

Elsevier

Volume

114

Page range

117-126

Department affiliated with

  • BSMS Neuroscience Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2016-01-12

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2016-12-24

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2016-01-12

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