Do expectations shape interoceptive perceptions across body domains? A sham EMF study to test the predictive...

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Psychophysiology
• Predictive Processing

Background:

• Persistent symptom perception is understood through predictive processing theory, where central nervous system predictions shape somatosensory input.
• Threat-related expectations are hypothesized to modulate these predictions and subsequent interoceptive perceptions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how threat-related expectations influence predictions and interoceptive perceptions across different body domains.
• To examine the role of sham electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure in modulating these processes.

Main Methods:

• 113 university participants were divided into sham EMF (electromagnetic field) exposure on and off groups.
• Both groups completed somatic and cardiovascular signal detection tasks (SSDT, cvSDT), with sensitivities and response biases calculated.
• Self-reported symptom distress and anxiety levels were collected and analyzed using (M)AN(C)OVAs and regression models.

Main Results:

• Participants in the sham EMF group reported significantly higher state anxiety and trend-wise more symptoms.
• No significant differences in response biases were found between the groups for either task.
• Higher somatic symptom distress was significantly associated with a more liberal interoceptive response tendency in the sham EMF group.

Conclusions:

• A liberal interoceptive approach is linked to heightened symptom experience across bodily domains, potentially acting as a transdiagnostic psychopathological risk factor.
• Further replication studies utilizing validated context manipulations are crucial due to the limited existing research in this area.