NeuroImage: Altered Interoceptive Bodily Processing in Chronic Pain
03.06.20Research
In a series of three studies, Dr Marco Solca and colleagues investigated for the first time interoception and its neurophysiological correlates in patients with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). Their behavioral and electrophysiological findings demonstrate an impaired ability in patients suffering from CRPS in correctly detecting and processing internal bodily states. In line with earlier work showing that reduced interoception and heartbeat evoked potentials in particular are objective markers of altered body perception in depressed patients, the authors argue that the altered sensory processing observed for interoceptive cardiac signals contributes to the distortion of own body representation in CRPS patients.
