On the Interaction of Self-Regulation, Interoception and Pain Perception

Abstract

Background: Interoceptive processes were found to be associated with better self-regulation capacities in healthy participants. Further empirical research suggests that interoceptive sensitivity is also important for the perception of pain both in healthy participants and in somatoform patients. Nevertheless, little is known about the interaction of interoceptive processes and self-regulation for pain. We therefore conducted a study examining the interaction of interoception and self-regulation in somatoform patients. Methods: We investigated interoceptive sensitivity and self-regulatory capacities in 30 somatoform patients and 30 healthy controls when experimentally assessing pain threshold and pain tolerance. Results: Interoceptive sensitivity was associated with better self-regulation capacities. Somatoform patients exhibited a significantly reduced interoceptive sensitivity and reduced self-regulatory capacities as assessed by self-report. Additionally, pain tolerance was significantly increased in somatoform patients as compared to controls. Conclusions: Our findings highlight that interoceptive sensitivity differentially interacts with pain and self-regulation both in healthy participants and somatoform patients. This might provide ideas for novel therapeutic interventions, e.g. a combined training of interoceptive sensitivity with certain aspects of self-regulation.

Interoceptive ingredients of body ownership: Affective touch and cardiac awareness in the rubber hand illusion

“…Our results did not confirm this hypothesis, as cardiac sensitivity did not predict pleasantness sensitivity to CT-optimal tactile stimulation. This finding goes against the assumption that interoceptive sensitivity is a unitary trait (Herbert et al, 2012;Weiss, Sack, Henningsen & Pollatos, 2014; but see Werner, Duschek, Mattern & Schandry, 2009). Instead, one interpretation of our results may be that as individuals may have differences in their sensitivity to exteroceptive modalities (e.g.…”

“…As there are currently only a handful of studies on whether sensitivity to cardiac signals predicts interoceptive sensitivity across other modalities (e.g. Herbert, Muth, Pollatos & Herbert, 2012;Weiss, Sack, Henningsen & Pollatos, 2014; but see Werner, Duschek, Mattern & Schandry, 2009;Garfinkel, Manassei, HamiltonFletcher, In den Bosch, Critchley & Engels, 2016), the results of such studies cannot easily be generalised to all interoceptive modalities. Moreover, the ecological validity of providing 'online' visual or auditory feedback of interoceptive modalities that are not habitually experienced via such exteroceptive modalities (e.g.…”

Generalized hypervigilance in fibromyalgia: Normal interoceptive accuracy, but reduced self-regulatory capacity

“…emotions, provide an individual with options to respond to a stimulus and guide his behaviour. Some studies have emphasized the role of feedback of bodily signals in behavioural processes by linking higher IA to increased self-reported self-regulatory capacity or self-regulation of physical load (66,67).…”

Interoceptive sensitivity facilitates both antecedent- and response-focused emotion regulation strategies

“…For example, IS is positively associated with frustration tolerance, affect differentiation and affect tolerance (Weiss, Sack, Henningsen, & Pollatos, 2014). Besides, IS has been shown to facilitate the successful down-regulation of negative emotion via reappraisal strategies (Füstös, Gramann, Herbert, & Pollatos, 2013).…”