Cardiac interoception in infants: Behavioral and neurophysiological measures in various emotional and self‐related contexts
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Published:2023-07-08
Issue:12
Volume:60
Page:
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ISSN:0048-5772
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Container-title:Psychophysiology
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language:en
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Short-container-title:Psychophysiology
Author:
Weijs Marieke L.12ORCID,
Daum Moritz M.13,
Lenggenhager Bigna14
Affiliation:
1. Department of Psychology University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
2. Department of Health Sciences and Technology ETH Zurich Zurich Switzerland
3. Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
4. Department of Psychology University of Konstanz Constance Germany
Abstract
AbstractInteroception, the perception of internal bodily signals, is fundamental to our sense of self. Even though theoretical accounts suggest an important role for interoception in the development of the self, empirical investigations are limited, particularly in infancy. Previous studies used preferential‐looking paradigms to assess the detection of sensorimotor and multisensory contingencies in infancy, usually related to proprioception and touch. So far, only one recent study reported that infants discriminated between audiovisual stimuli presented synchronously or asynchronously with their heartbeat. This discrimination was related to the amplitude of the infant's heartbeat evoked potentials (HEP), a neural correlate of interoception. In the current study, we measured looking preferences between synchronous and asynchronous visuocardiac (bimodal), and audiovisuocardiac (trimodal) stimuli as well as the HEP in conditions of different emotional contexts and with different degrees of self‐relatedness in a mirror‐like setup. While the infants preferred trimodal to bimodal stimuli, we did not observe the predicted differences between synchronous and asynchronous stimulation. Furthermore, the HEP was not modulated by emotional context or self‐relatedness. These findings do not support previously published results and highlight the need for further studies on the early development of interoception in relation to the development of the self.
Funder
Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung
Subject
Experimental and Cognitive Psychology,Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology,Biological Psychiatry,Cognitive Neuroscience,Developmental Neuroscience,Endocrine and Autonomic Systems,Neurology,Experimental and Cognitive Psychology,Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology,General Neuroscience