The relationship between interoceptive sensibility and tactile localisation: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: The perception of our body (i.e. somatoperception) is under the influence of multisensory information (e.g. touch) and internal representations of our body in the brain (i.e. body representations). The integrity of body representations seems important since distortions range from tactile mislocalisation to loss of body ownership. Body representations have been linked to perceiving the internal bodily state (i.e. interoception) as well as perceiving the surrounding environment (i.e. exteroception). However, the inter-relationship between interoception and exteroception remains unclear, but could be hypothesised based on the overlap of the interoceptive and exteroceptive neural networks. In particular touch as exteroceptive modality seems of clinical interest since touch is relatively strongly related to pain. Aim: Investigating the relationship between interoceptive sensibility and tactile localisation in a non-clinical sample Methods: In this cross-sectional study, interoceptive sensibility was assessed with the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness, version 2 (MAIA-2). Tactile localisation was assessed with the imprinted Tactile Acuity Device, with the overall accuracy score as outcome. Multiple linear regression was used to perform multiple partial correlations between the MAIA-2 subscales and the overall accuracy score, after all variables were adjusted for age and gender. Additionally, zero-order correlations and semi-partial correlations were obtained. Results: Sixty-nine participants were included. The multiple partial correlation showed an adjusted R2 of .19 (p < .000), with MAIA-2 body listening and MAIA-2 trusting included. MAIA-2 body listening had a zero-order correlation (r = -.378, p = .001) and a semi-partial correlation (r =-.447, p < .000) to the overall accuracy score. MAIA-2 trusting only had a semi-partial correlation (r = .261, p = .020) to the overall accuracy score. Conclusion and key findings: Participants who reported higher scores on whether they actively listen to their body for insight showed lower overall accuracy scores. Also, participants who reported higher scores on whether they experience their body as safe and trustworthy showed higher overall accuracy scores. These findings suggest that interoception and exteroception seem to inter-relate, which could be helpful to increase our understanding of distortions in body representations in clinical samples.