Interoceptive attention and mood in daily life: an experience-sampling study

Theories of emotion ascribe a fundamental role to the processing of bodily signals (interoception) in emotional experience. Despite evidence consistent with this, current knowledge is limited by a focus on interoceptive accuracy and laboratory-based interoception measures. This experience-sampling study examines how state interoceptive attention and state emotional experience are related in everyday life, providing the first data to our knowledge examining: (1) within-subject fluctuations in interoceptive attention across domains, and (2) the relationship between trait and state interoception. Compared with rates of exteroceptive attention (auditory attention: engaged 83% of the time), interoceptive signals captured attention approximately 20% of the time, with substantial within- and between-person variability across domains. There were relationships between interoceptive attention and emotion in daily life (greater attention being associated with more negative valence and fatigue) that were specific to interoceptive attention (different patterns were observed with exteroceptive attention). State measures of interoceptive (but not exteroceptive) attention were correlated with the trait interoceptive attention, but not accuracy. Results underscore the relationship between interoceptive attention and emotion, providing new insights into interoceptive attention and the structure of interoceptive ability. Future research should examine the source(s) of within- and between-person variability in interoceptive and exteroceptive attention and its relationship with emotional experience. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Sensing and feeling: an integrative approach to sensory processing and emotional experience’

An interoceptive model of bulimia nervosa: A neurobiological systematic review

The objective of our study was to examine the neurobiological support for an interoceptive sensory processing model of bulimia nervosa (BN). To do so, we conducted a systematic review of interoceptive sensory processing in BN, using the PRISMA guidelines. We searched PsychInfo, Pubmed, and Web of Knowledge databases to identify biological and behavioral studies that examine interoceptive detection in BN. After screening 390 articles for inclusion and conducting a quality assessment of articles that met inclusion criteria, we reviewed 41 articles. We found that global interoceptive sensory processing deficits may be present in BN. Specifically there is evidence of abnormal brain function, structure and connectivity in the interoceptive neural network, in addition to gastric and pain processing disturbances. These results suggest that there may be a neurobiological basis for global interoceptive sensory processing deficits in BN that remain after recovery. Data from taste and heart beat detection studies were inconclusive; some studies suggest interoceptive disturbances in these sensory domains. Discrepancies in findings appear to be due to methodological differences. In conclusion, interoceptive sensory processing deficits may directly contribute to and explain a variety of symptoms present in those with BN. Further examination of interoceptive sensory processing deficits could inform the development of treatments for those with BN

Empathic accuracy in adolescent girls with Turner Syndrome

Objective: Girls and women with Turner Syndrome (TS) demonstrate social challenges and difficulties identifying negative emotions, specifically fear. Previous studies suggest that social deficits in TS could be associated with theory of mind (TOM) difficulties or visual-spatial processing abnormalities. To further examine the potential mechanisms underlying social deficits in TS, we administered the empathic accuracy task, a naturalistic social cognition task. Method: The performance of 14 girls with TS was compared to 12 age-matched typically developing girls (ages 12 to 17) on an empathic accuracy task and a (control) visual-motor line-tracking task. Empathic accuracy was compared across positive and negative emotionally valanced videos. Results: We found that girls with TS differ from typically developing girls on empathic accuracy ratings for negative videos; no differences were detected for the positive videos. No between group differences were found on the control line tracking task. Conclusion: Our findings expand upon the previously detected affect recognition problems in TS to also include impaired detection of negatively valanced empathic interactions. Such difficulties for girls with TS could contribute to their social deficits and anxiety. Results from this study provide important information about gene-body-brain interactions and their influence on emotion processing and empathic accuracy during adolescence

On the relationship between mathematics and visuospatial processing in Turner syndrome

A common neurocognitive phenotype of Turner syndrome (TS) includes coincident deficits in math and visuospatial reasoning while overall IQ remains intact. However, research has highlighted disparities in the relationship between these properties in women with TS, suggesting that not all visuospatial domains are equally related to mathematics in this group. Here, we present findings from a longitudinal investigation of visuospatial processing and its relationship to math performance in adolescent girls with TS and age-matched healthy controls. Participants completed a standardized battery of math and visuospatial tests once a year for 4 years. Linear mixed effects modeling was used to examine the relationship between mathematics and each visuospatial domain over time. Our results indicate that math performance was related to visual tracking, visual-motor coordination, and figure-ground processing. Such visuospatial domains appear to be uniquely affected by TS and could contribute to their deficits in math performance. Furthermore, differences in math and visuospatial test performance between girls with TS and healthy controls remain stable over time. Our results have important implications for the role of visuospatial processing in early math performance and may inform the development of effective interventions aimed at improving math education in children with TS

How effective are external cues and analogies in enhancing sprint and jump performance in academy soccer players?

This study investigated the effect of external (EC) and internal coaching cues (IC), analogies with a directional component (ADC) on sprint (20 m) and vertical jump performance in academy soccer players (n = 20). A repeated-measures analysis, with post-hoc comparisons, was used to identify any differences between these cues and a neutral (control) cue. Significant differences were found for both sprint (p p = 0.022) comparisons among cue types. In post-hoc analyses for the 20 m sprint, significant differences were observed between the EC and the IC, favouring the EC (p p p = 0.023, ES = 0.4 [CI: -0.04 to 0.84]). It appears that ECs and ADCs are most effective when coaching sprinting performance in academy soccer players. However, simply encouraging maximal effort from a youth athlete also appears to be a reasonable cueing strategy to drive performance in youth athletes

Post-traumatic stress and age variation in amygdala volumes among youth exposed to trauma

Theoretically, normal developmental variation in amygdala volumes may be altered under conditions of severe stress. The purpose of this article was to examine whether posttraumatic stress moderates the association between age and amygdala volumes in youth exposed to traumatic events who are experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Volumetric imaging was conducted on two groups of youth aged 9–17 years: 28 with exposure to trauma and PTSD symptoms (boys = 15, girls = 13) and 26 matched (age, IQ) comparison youth (Controls; boys = 12, girls = 14). There was a significant group by age interaction in predicting right amygdala volumes. A positive association between age and right amygdala volumes was observed, but only in PTSD youth. These associations with age remained when controlling for IQ, total brain volumes and sex. Moreover, older youth with PTSD symptoms had relatively larger right amygdala volumes than controls. Findings provide evidence that severe stress may influence age-related variation in amygdala volumes. Results further highlight the importance of utilizing age as an interactive variable in pediatric neuroimaging research, in so far as age may act as an important moderator of group differences

Examining the neural correlates of emergent equivalence relations in fragile X syndrome

The neural mechanisms underlying the formation of stimulus equivalence relations are poorly understood, particularly in individuals with specific learning impairments. As part of a larger study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while participants with fragile X syndrome (FXS), and age- and IQ-matched controls with intellectual disability, were required to form new equivalence relations in the scanner. Following intensive training on matching fractions to pie charts (A=B relations) and pie charts to decimals (B=C relations) outside the scanner over a 2- day period, participants were tested on the trained (A=B, B=C) relations, as well as emergent symmetry (i.e., B=A and C=B) and transitivity/equivalence (i.e., A=C and C=A) relations inside the scanner. Eight participants with FXS (6 female, 2 male) and 10 controls, aged 10–23 years, were able to obtain at least 66.7% correct on the trained relations in the scanner and were included in the fMRI analyses. Across both groups, results showed that the emergence of symmetry relations was correlated with increased brain activation in the left inferior parietal lobule, left postcentral gyrus, and left insula, broadly supporting previous investigations of stimulus equivalence research in neurotypical populations. On the test of emergent transitivity/equivalence relations, activation was significantly greater in individuals with FXS compared with controls in the right middle temporal gyrus, left superior frontal gyrus and left precuneus. These data indicate that neural execution was significantly different in individuals with FXS than in age- and IQ-matched controls during stimulus equivalence formation. Further research concerning how gene–brain–behavior interactions may influence the emergence of stimulus equivalence in individuals with intellectual disabilities is needed

An fMRI Meta-Analysis of Childhood Trauma

Traumatic experiences during childhood significantly impact the developing brain and contributes to the development of numerous physical and mental health problems. A comprehensive understanding of the functional impairments within the brain associated with childhood who trauma histories, however, is unknown. Previous fMRI meta-analytical tools required homogeneity in task types and the clinical populations studied, thus, preventing the comprehensive pooling of brain-based deficits present in children who have trauma histories. We hypothesize that the use of the novel data-driven Bayesian author-topic model approach to fMRI meta-analyses will reveal deficits in brain networks spanning fMRI task types in children with trauma histories. We are the first known study to use the Bayesian author-topic model approach to fMRI meta-analyses within a clinical population. Using PRISMA guidelines, we present data-driven results obtained by combining activation patterns across heterogeneous tasks from 1,428 initially screened studies, thus combining data from 14 studies meeting study criteria (285 children with trauma histories; 297 healthy control children). Altered brain activity is revealed within two clusters in children with trauma histories as compared to control children: the Default Mode/Affective Network/posterior insula and Central Executive Network. Our identified clusters were associated with tasks pertaining to cognitive processing, emotional/social stress, self-referential thought, memory, unexpected stimuli and avoidance behaviours in youth who have experienced childhood trauma. Our results reveal disturbances in children with trauma histories within the modulation of DMN and CEN networks – but not the salience network- irrespective of also presenting post-traumatic stress symptoms

Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial of Quetiapine in Anorexia Nervosa

Objective: Our objective is to determine whether quetiapine was superior to placebo in increasing weight or reducing core symptoms of anorexia nervosa as assessed by the Yale–Brown–Cornell Eating Disorder Scale and the Eating Disorder Inventory-2. Method: Participants were randomised to 8 weeks of quetiapine or placebo. Results: There are 21 participants who signed informed consent, 15 were randomised, 14 returned for at least one visit after receiving drug and 10 completed the study. There were no differences between drug and placebo in questionnaire scores, weight or measures of anxiety or depression. Discussion: There was no difference between quetiapine and placebo on weight gain or core symptoms. Small effect sizes suggest that a higher number of participants would not increase significant differences between groups. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association

Interoceptive attention and mood in daily life: an experience-sampling study

Theories of emotion ascribe a fundamental role to the processing of bodily signals (interoception) in emotional experience. Despite evidence consistent with this, current knowledge is limited by a focus on interoceptive accuracy and lab-based interoception measures. This experience-sampling study examines how state interoceptive attention and state emotional experience are related in everyday life, providing the first data examining: (1) within-subject fluctuations in interoceptive attention across domains and, (2) the relationship between trait and state interoception. Compared to rates of exteroceptive attention (auditory attention: engaged 83% of the time), interoceptive signals captured attention ~20% of the time, with substantial within- and between-person variability across domains. There were relationships between interoceptive attention and emotion in daily life (greater attention being associated with more negative valance and fatigue) which were specific to interoceptive attention (different patterns were observed with exteroceptive attention). State measures of interoceptive (but not exteroceptive) attention were correlated with the trait interoceptive attention, but not accuracy. Results underscore the relationship between interoceptive attention and emotion, providing new insights into interoceptive attention and the structure of interoceptive ability. Future research should examine the source(s) of within- and between-person variability in interoceptive and exteroceptive attention and its relationship with emotional experience