Objective: The term interoception refers to the perception of bodily cues. In empirical studies, it is assessed using heartbeat detection or tracking tasks, often with the implicit assumption that cardioception reflects general interoceptive ability. Studies that applied a multichannel approach measured only a limited number of modalities. In the current study, six modalities were assessed to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between the different sensory channels of interoception.Methods: For 118 university students (53% male) gastric perception (water load test), heartbeat perception (Schandry task), proprioception (elbow joint), ischemic pain (tourniquet technique), balancing ability (one leg stand), and perception of bitter taste were measured. Pair-wise correlation analysis and exploratory factor analyses (principal component analysis (PCA) and maximum likelihood (ML) extraction with oblimin rotation) were then carried out with a three-factor solution to investigate the underlying associations.Results: Correlation analysis only revealed significant associations between variables belonging to the same sensory modality (gastric perception, pain, bitter taste). Similarly, the three factors that consistently emerged in the factor analyses represented the three aforementioned modalities.Discussion: Interoceptive sensitivity assessed by using one channel only cannot be generalized. Interoceptive modalities carrying crucial information for survival are not integrated with other channels.

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The theoretically hypothesized connection between modern health worries (MHWs) and somatosensory amplification (SSA), as well as the factor structure of the Hungarian version of the MHW scale were investigated in a cross-sectional questionnaire study. A total of 163 university students (mean age = 21.3± 2.70 yrs; 44.2% male) and 145 patients (mean age = 49.4±17.51 yrs; 31.7% male) visiting their general practitioners (GPs) completed questionnaires assessing MHWs, SSA, subjective somatic symptoms (PHQ-15), and trait anxiety (STAI-T). The previously described four-factor structure of the MHW scale was confirmed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). In the linear regression analysis, participants' age and SSA scores were positively related to MHWs even after controlling for gender, anxiety, and subjective somatic symptom scores. The conclusions are that: MHWs are indicators of cognitive, behavioral and social level of sensitization for health-related concerns; SSA can provide the somatic background process for generation and/or misattribution of subjective somatic symptoms; better understanding of the cognitive-emotional background of MHWs could help to determine possible interventions.

The empirical foundation of the 'placebo effect' is presented briefly, which is followed by the meta-analysis of the relatively few published reports that have investigated placebo effects in sports performance. Based on the analysis of the fourteen studies included in the meta-analysis, an overall medium effect size (0.4, 95% CI ranged from 0.24 to 0.56) was found. Homogeneity of effect sizes (χ 2 (13, N = 196) = 9.35, p = 0.75) and the feasibility of possible explanation models were also tested. In various sports (e.g. cycling, running, weightlifting) the investigation of the placebo effect on various physiological or performance measures (e.g. muscle power, heart rate, running speed) and psychological attributes (e.g. perceived exertion, post-experiment interviews) yielded significant results. Indeed, the common finding of the reviewed studies was that from the point of view of the athletes there is substantial performance enhancement as a result of different forms of placebos. However, the interpretation of some of the results may be limited by methodological shortcomings. Based on the reviewed articles and further questions emerging from them, methodological recommendations as well as possible research ideas are suggested for further inquiries in the area.Keywords: placebo effect, meta-analysis, expectation, belief, sport, physical exercise, mechanism, nocebo Placebo-Effekt im Bereich Sport: Metaanalyse: Die Grundlagen der Erforschung des Placebo-Effekts werden kurz geschildert, sodann werden die Ergebnisse unserer Metaanalyse vorgestellt, die auf Grundlage einiger Studien zur Untersuchung des messbaren Placebo-Effekts bei Sportleistungen durchgeführt wurde. Auf Grundlage der in die Metaanalyse integrierten 14 Studien wurde eine mittlere Wirkungsgröße festgestellt (0,4, mit 95% CI 0,24-0,56). Es wurden die Homogenität der Wirkungsgrößen (χ 2 (13, N = 196) = 9,35, p = 0,75), sowie die Möglichkeit der

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A great body of research indicates that eveningness is associated with negative psychological outcomes, including depressive and anxiety symptoms, behavioral dyscontrol and different health impairing behaviors. Impaired subjective sleep quality, increased circadian misalignment and daytime sleepiness were also reported in evening-type individuals in comparison with morning-types. Although sleep problems were consistently reported to be associated with poor psychological functioning, the effects of sleep disruption on the relationship between eveningness preference and negative emotionality have scarcely been investigated. Here, based on questionnaire data of 756 individuals (25.5% males, age range = 18-43 years, mean = 25.3 ± 5.8 years), as well as of the evening-type (N = 211) and morning-type (N = 189) subgroups, we examined the relationship among sleep problems, eveningness and negative emotionality. Subjects completed the Hungarian Version of the Horne and Östberg Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ-14), The Athen Insomnia Scale (AIS) and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Moreover, a composite score of Negative Emotionality (NE) was computed based on the scores of the Short Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-9), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Morning and evening circadian misalignment was calculated based on the difference between preferred and real wake- and bedtimes. Two possible models were tested, hypothesizing that sleep problems (circadian misalignment, insomniac symptoms and daytime sleepiness) moderate or mediate the association between eveningness and negative emotionality. Eveningness preference was correlated with increased NE and increased AIS, ESS and circadian misalignment scores. Our results indicate that eveningness-preference is an independent risk factor for higher negative emotionality regardless of the effects of age, gender, circadian misalignment and sleep complaints. Nevertheless, while chronotype explained ∼6%, sleep problems (AIS and ESS) accounted for a much larger proportion (∼28%) of the variance of NE. We did not find a significant effect of interaction (moderation) between chronotype and sleep problems. In contrast, insomniac symptoms (AIS) emerged as a partial mediator between chronotype and NE. These findings argue against the assumption that indicators of mental health problems in evening-type individuals can be explained exclusively on the basis of disturbed sleep. Nevertheless, negative psychological outcomes seem to be partially attributable to increased severity of insomniac complaints in evening-types.