Linking heartbeats with the cortical network dynamics involved in self-social touch distinction

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Physiology

Background:

• Interoception, the sense of the body's internal state, is crucial for self-awareness and first-person perspective.
• Heartbeat dynamics are known to influence perception and are modulated by different types of touch.
• A direct link between cardiac activity patterns and brain mechanisms for self-other distinction was hypothesized.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between cardiac autonomic activity (sympathetic and parasympathetic) and brain connectivity during self and social touch.
• To quantify the coupling between temporal patterns of cardiac activity and brain network dynamics.
• To elucidate the neurophysiological underpinnings of distinguishing self-touch from social touch.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a novel method to measure the coupling between cardiac sympathetic and parasympathetic activity patterns and brain connectivity.
• Examined these couplings during conditions of self-touch and social touch.
• Analyzed data across various frequency bands, focusing on alpha and gamma bands for parasympathetic activity.

Main Results:

• Social touch increased coupling between frontoparietal networks and parasympathetic/vagal activity, especially in alpha and gamma bands.
• A decrease in coupling between brain networks and sympathetic activity was observed across a wide frequency range during social touch.
• Heartbeat dynamics were found to be intricately linked with brain organization and network connectivity.

Conclusions:

• Heartbeat dynamics play a significant role in brain organization and are modulated by social interaction.
• The study provides novel neurophysiological evidence for how the brain distinguishes between self-generated and externally-provided touch.
• Findings advance our understanding of interoception and its role in social cognition and self-perception.