Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 8, 2026
08:22
3D Cine Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Respiratory Motion in Mechanically Ventilated Mice and Rats
Published on: September 19, 2025
1.3K
Interoceptive dimensions across cardiac and respiratory axes
Sarah N Garfinkel1,2, Miranda F Manassei3, Giles Hamilton-Fletcher4
1Psychiatry, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK s.garfinkel@bsms.ac.uk.
Summary
This study reveals distinct body sensing abilities for heartbeats and breathing, impacting anxiety. Better awareness of heart signals correlates with less anxiety, while poor breathing accuracy links to more anxiety.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Physiology
Background:
- Interoception, sensing the body's internal state, varies between individuals.
- Differences in interoceptive sensitivity are linked to affective processing and anxiety.
- Most research focuses on cardiac interoception, neglecting other organ systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare interoception for cardiac and respiratory signals.
- To investigate the relationship between interoceptive accuracy, awareness, and anxiety symptoms.
- To explore dissociations between different interoceptive modalities and exteroception.
Main Methods:
- Compared interoceptive accuracy and awareness for cardiac and respiratory signals.
- Assessed touch acuity as an exteroceptive control.
- Correlated interoception measures with anxiety symptom scores.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated dissociation between cardiac and respiratory interoceptive accuracy.
- Found a positive relationship between cardiac and respiratory interoceptive awareness.
- Neither accuracy nor awareness for cardiac/respiratory signals related to touch acuity.
- Poor respiratory accuracy associated with higher anxiety; good cardiac awareness associated with lower anxiety.
Conclusions:
- Interoceptive accuracy is dissociable across sensory modalities.
- Interoceptive awareness shows cross-modal relationships.
- Specific interoceptive measures predict anxiety symptoms, suggesting distinct roles in mental health.
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