Speaker
Description
The ability to perceive, interpret, and regulate internal bodily signals - known as interoception - is fundamental to emotional regulation, decision-making, and well-being. Altered interoception has been increasingly recognized as a central feature of eating disorders (EDs) such as anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and binge-eating disorder (BED).
Training methods designed to enhance interoceptive abilities – interoceptive-based interventions (IBIs) – have shown promise in treating conditions like anxiety disorders, yet their application to eating disorders remains limited.
This mini-talk will present findings from a systematic review investigating the use of IBIs (including mindfulness-based interventions, interoceptive exposure, and biofeedback) for eating disorders. Mindfulness-based interventions were the most investigated, showing consistent improvements in emotional regulation, body awareness, and eating-related behaviors. Interoceptive exposure showed promising results in reducing avoidance of bodily sensations, particularly in AN and BED, while biofeedback interventions revealed potential for enhancing emotional regulation through real-time physiological awareness. However, methodological limitations across studies, such as small sample sizes and the absence of standardized outcome measures of interoception, prevent firm conclusions on their efficacy.
I will conclude that while IBIs hold promise for addressing interoceptive dysfunctions in eating disorders, future research needs to refine intervention protocols, enhance ecological validity, and employ more rigorous designs to fully realize their clinical impact.
