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Updated: Jul 12, 2025

Control of Eating Behavior Using a Novel Feedback System
Published on: May 8, 2018
Exploration of interoceptive capabilities in avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder and anorexia nervosa
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 401 Quarry Road, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA. nandinid@stanford.edu.
Objective:
This proof-of-concept study explores the role of aberrant interoception as a possible mechanism underlying restrictive eating symptoms in avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) compared to anorexia nervosa (AN) and healthy comparisons (HC).
Method:
We report preliminary normative adolescent interoceptive data in HCs (n = 100) compared to adolescents with ARFID (n = 30) and AN (N = 23). Adolescents (12-18) participated in a one-time virtual visit to assess heartrate guessing accuracy (interoceptive accuracy), correlation between confidence in heartrate guess and accuracy (interoceptive awareness), and self-reported interoception (interoceptive sensibility).
Results:
HC adolescents had comparable interoceptive outcomes relative to published adult norms, consistent with existing literature. Data suggest that adolescents with ARFID have poor heartbeat guessing accuracy and experience challenges deciphering interoceptive signals, possibly contributing to symptoms. While adolescents with AN have greater heartbeat guessing accuracy, they cite difficulty trusting body cues, perhaps contributing to their lack of confidence in interoceptive cue detection.
Conclusions:
Preliminary results reflect differences in interoception between the three groups.
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