Ghosts in the Machine. Interoceptive Modeling for Chronic Pain Treatment

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Pain Research

Background:

• Pain is a complex, multidimensional perception influenced by interoceptive appraisal.
• Chronic pain conditions often feature interoceptive deficits, impacting the sense of the body's physiological state.
• Existing models like the Mature Organism Model and neuromatrix theory provide frameworks for understanding pain perception.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review literature on interoception and predictive coding theories concerning chronic pain.
• To explain the link between interoceptive deficits and the perception of chronic pain.
• To propose a novel concept and treatment for chronic pain based on interoception.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of interoception and predictive coding theories.
• Conceptual analysis integrating existing pain models.
• Proposal of 'residual interoceptive images' and 'interoceptive modeling'.

Main Results:

• Identified a gap in understanding the link between interoceptive deficits and chronic pain perception.
• Proposed 'residual interoceptive images' to explain diffuse, multilevel chronic pain.
• Introduced 'interoceptive modeling' as a potential therapeutic strategy.

Conclusions:

• Viewing chronic pain through an interoceptive lens enhances comprehension of its multidimensional nature.
• Residual interoceptive images offer a new perspective on the persistence of chronic pain.
• Interoceptive modeling presents a promising avenue for reducing chronic pain by modifying internal representations.