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The altered representation of interoceptive sensations in individuals with alexithymia: A mouse-tracking and EEG
Xianrui Li1, Wenting Ye2, Yunhong Wang2
1Shandong Daizhuang Hospital, Jining, Shandong 272051, China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Precision Psychiatry, Hangzhou 310003, China; Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
Abstract:
Humans primarily rely on bodily sensations to experience emotions. Alexithymia, however, alters individuals' emotional experiences. Despite this, limited research has examined whether individuals with different levels of alexithymia experience the same emotions when exposed to identical bodily sensations. The present studies aimed to explore the altered representation of interoceptive sensations in individuals with alexithymia. In Study 1, we measured how participants associated interoceptive sensations with emotion categories using a computer mouse. In Study 2, event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded simultaneously while participants performed the same task. Mouse trajectories and the N400 component were analyzed, and ANOVA was conducted to examine the differences in both mouse trajectories and N400 amplitudes. In Study 1, we found that individuals with high alexithymia (HA) exhibited less direct and more curved mouse trajectories compared to those with low alexithymia (LA). Study 2 confirmed these behavioral findings and further revealed that HA individuals exhibited greater N400 amplitudes than LA individuals. Our findings suggest that HA individuals experience deficits in the representation of interoceptive sensations, with the N400 serving as a potential index of these deficits in individuals with alexithymia.
