Speaker
Description
Whether we might distinguish emotional experiences by highlighting specific physiological markers is a debated question. Besides cardiac and respiratory indices, gastrointestinal (GI) signals are emerging as crucial indicators of emotional processes. However, direct evidence of this link remains elusive. To assess the impact of endoluminal markers of GI activity on emotions, we asked a group of healthy participants to ingest a pill that measured pH, pressure, and temperature of their GI tract while they were exposed to videos that consistently induced disgust, fear, happiness, sadness or a neutral state. GI makers were complemented by heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) recordings, as well as participants’ self-reported visceral sensations (gastric, respiratory and cardiac) and perceived emotions. When participants observed fearful and disgusting video clips, they not only experienced sensations related to their heart and breathing, but also felt gastric sensations, such as nausea. We also observed a clear correlation between stomach physiology and perceived emotions. Specifically, when participants viewed disgusting video clips, those with more acidic pH levels reported higher levels of disgust and fear, whereas those with less acidic pH levels reported more feelings of happiness. Additionally, changes in HRV and HR, especially related to disgusting and fearful videos, were found.
By analyzing these results in conjunction with findings from other studies we performed, we highlight how visceral signals can influence both typical and atypical affective processes, shedding light on the complex interplay between bodily sensations and emotional experiences.
| If you're submitting a symposium talk, what's the symposium title? | Interoception, affectivity and cognitive processes |
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| If you're submitting a symposium, or a talk that is part of a symposium, is this a junior symposium? | No |
