Abstract
Objective
Symptom reports correspond less to physiological dysfunction in persons with high levels of symptoms in daily life and in patients with functional somatic symptoms, suggesting poor symptom perception. In this study, we investigated whether interoception was impacted by the meaning of the context and by habitual symptom reporting.
Methods
Eight inspiratory resistances that were equidistant in intensity were administered to healthy women (N = 124) varying in habitual symptom reporting. One group was asked to categorise them as benign sensations vs. as bodily symptoms that could suggest a disease (disease context group). Another group was asked to categorise them as low- vs. high-intensity sensations (neutral context group).
Main outcome
Perceived differences in intensity within- vs. between-category and unpleasantness, categorisation threshold, and the reliability of categorising each stimulus were examined in relation to context (disease, neutral) and symptom reporting levels in daily life.
Results
Context (neutral vs. disease) impacted intensity and unpleasantness perception. Processing of respiratory interoceptive stimulation was more detailed, elaborate, and cautious when categorising stimuli as signalling health or disease vs. as low- or high-intensity. Individual differences in habitual symptoms had no effect.
Conclusion
The pattern of results suggests that these categorisation effects indicate flexible, context-sensitive interoceptive processing, which may characterise healthy individuals.
Symptom reports correspond less to physiological dysfunction in persons with high levels of symptoms in daily life and in patients with functional somatic symptoms, suggesting poor symptom perception. In this study, we investigated whether interoception was impacted by the meaning of the context and by habitual symptom reporting.
Methods
Eight inspiratory resistances that were equidistant in intensity were administered to healthy women (N = 124) varying in habitual symptom reporting. One group was asked to categorise them as benign sensations vs. as bodily symptoms that could suggest a disease (disease context group). Another group was asked to categorise them as low- vs. high-intensity sensations (neutral context group).
Main outcome
Perceived differences in intensity within- vs. between-category and unpleasantness, categorisation threshold, and the reliability of categorising each stimulus were examined in relation to context (disease, neutral) and symptom reporting levels in daily life.
Results
Context (neutral vs. disease) impacted intensity and unpleasantness perception. Processing of respiratory interoceptive stimulation was more detailed, elaborate, and cautious when categorising stimuli as signalling health or disease vs. as low- or high-intensity. Individual differences in habitual symptoms had no effect.
Conclusion
The pattern of results suggests that these categorisation effects indicate flexible, context-sensitive interoceptive processing, which may characterise healthy individuals.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 18-36 |
| Number of pages | 19 |
| Journal | Psychology & Health |
| Volume | 38 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 2 Aug 2021 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This work was supported by the Center for Excellence on Generalization Research [GRIP*TT, KU Leuven grant PF/10/005]; and the Asthenes long-term structural funding by the FWO-Vlaanderen, Flemish Government, Belgium under grant [METH/15/011]. The authors would like to thank Mathijs Franssen and Jonas Zaman for technical assistance and help with data processing.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Funding
This work was supported by the Center for Excellence on Generalization Research [GRIP*TT, KU Leuven grant PF/10/005]; and the Asthenes long-term structural funding by the FWO-Vlaanderen, Flemish Government, Belgium under grant [METH/15/011]. The authors would like to thank Mathijs Franssen and Jonas Zaman for technical assistance and help with data processing.
Keywords
- categorisation
- functional somatic symptoms
- Interoception
- symptom reporting