Speaker
Description
Interoception, the process by which signals originating from within the body are perceived and integrated, is crucial for constructing mental body representations. Despite its significance, the relationship between interoception and higher-order functional body representations (BR), particularly in Parkinson's disease (PD), remains understudied.
This study aims to investigate potential alterations in different BR and conscious interoceptive dimensions in PD.
Thirty participants, comprising 15 individuals diagnosed with PD and 15 healthy controls (HC), underwent a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment. This assessment included tasks tapping action-oriented BR (Hand Laterality Task, HLT), and non-action-oriented BR (Frontal Body Evocation task, FBE). Additionally, participants were assessed for three aspects of interoceptive processing: sensitivity (Self-Awareness Questionnaire), accuracy (Heartbeat Detection Task; HDT), and awareness (accuracy-confidence correlation).
BR and interoceptive dimensions were compared between the groups using non-parametric analysis (i.e., the Mann-Whitney U test).
The HDT scores were significantly lower among patients with PD compared to HC (U=60.000; p=0.029). Similarly, the HLT total (U=59.500; p=0.026), HLT for the right hand (U=60.000; p=0.029), and FBE for the body right side (U=61.000; p=0.033) scores were significantly lower among PD patients compared to HC.
The inner and outer body processing are both compromised in PD. These findings emphasize the significance of assessing interoception and functional BR in PD, whose alterations are potentially associated with insular degeneration, calling for additional research to comprehensively understand their impact on daily functioning and quality of life.
| If you're submitting a symposium talk, what's the symposium title? | Interoception for cardiac and gastric signals: exploring individual differences and their implications for cognitive and mental health. |
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| If you're submitting a symposium, or a talk that is part of a symposium, is this a junior symposium? | Yes |
