Neurophysiological dynamics of visceral signals in emotion, self and bodily consciousness.

Bodily organs like the heart and lungs continuously interact with the brain to maintain physiological balance, and recent research shows that signals from these organs also influence high-level brain functions. These signals modulate electrophysiological dynamics, affecting how emotional and self-related information is processed, which shapes conscious experience. This review synthesizes electrophysiological evidence on interoception—the sensing of internal body states—focusing on cardiac, respiratory, and gastric signals. It shows that altered neurophysiological responses to interoception may underlie deficits in psychopathology. Limited evidence on the development of interoceptive electrophysiology in infancy and adolescence is summarized, along with attempts to investigate causal neural mechanisms. Important areas for further research are highlighted.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Bodily organs such as the heart and the lungs play a crucial role in maintaining physiological homeostasis in a continuous closed-loop interaction with the brain. Beyond their vital role, recent developments have emphasized the remarkable contribution of bodily signals to high-level brain functions. A direct route by which bodily signals influence brain functioning is via modulation of electrophysiological dynamics, which in turn influences the integration and processing of emotional and self-related information regulating our conscious experience. Drawing on electrophysiological investigations, we provide a comprehensive picture of the electrophysiology of interoception and its contribution to emotion, self and bodily consciousness, with a focus on cardiac, respiratory and gastric interoception. We provide evidence that altered neurophysiological responses in interoception might underlie deficits in psychopathology. We also summarize the limited evidence on the development of the electrophysiology of interoception during infancy and adolescence, as well as describing some attempts to investigate causality in the neural mechanisms underpinning interoception. A number of important areas for further research are highlighted.