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Interactions between cardiac activity and conscious somatosensory perception
Paweł Motyka1,2, Martin Grund2, Norman Forschack2,3
1Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
Psychophysiology
|June 28, 2019
Summary
Conscious perception of touch is influenced by heart activity. Somatosensory stimuli are better perceived during heart diastole, and detecting stimuli causes heart rate deceleration.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Cardiology
Background:
- Cardiac activity influences sensory perception, primarily studied in visual and auditory domains.
- The relationship between cardiac signals and conscious awareness in somatosensation remains underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if cardiac cycle phase and heart rate affect conscious somatosensory perception.
- To examine how detecting somatosensory stimuli impacts heart rate.
Main Methods:
- Recorded electrocardiograms (ECG) from 33 healthy volunteers.
- Applied near-threshold electrical stimuli to the index finger.
- Analyzed the relationship between cardiac cycle phase, heart rate, and stimulus detection.
Main Results:
- Conscious detection of somatosensory stimuli was significantly higher during cardiac diastole than systole.
- Prestimulus heart rate did not influence stimulus detection.
- Correctly detected stimuli (hits) resulted in more significant cardiac deceleration compared to misses.
Conclusions:
- Cardiac activity modulates conscious somatosensory perception, extending beyond visual and auditory domains.
- Internal bodily states, specifically cardiac signals, play a crucial role in sensory processing and conscious awareness.
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