Methodological recommendations for a heartbeat detection-based measure of interoceptive sensitivity

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Physiology

Background:

• Heartbeat detection tasks assess cardiac interoceptive sensitivity.
• Optimal trial numbers for these tasks are not well-established.
• Balancing reliability, power, duration, and participant burden is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the optimal number of trials for heartbeat detection tasks.
• To guide researchers in balancing study efficiency and data quality.
• To provide a framework for understanding trade-offs between sample size, effect size, and trials.

Main Methods:

• 174 participants completed 100 trials of a heartbeat detection task.
• Measurement reliability was assessed using accuracy across varying trial counts.
• Statistical power was simulated to evaluate the influence of trial numbers on detecting correlations.

Main Results:

• At least 40-60 trials are necessary for sufficient measurement reliability.
• Fewer than 40 trials typically yield insufficient reliability and power.
• Simulations quantified trade-offs between sample size, effect size, and trial number.

Conclusions:

• Using fewer than 40 trials in heartbeat detection tasks is generally inadequate.
• Adequate trial numbers are essential for reliable interoceptive sensitivity measurement.
• The optimal number of trials may vary depending on specific study aims and conditions.