The neurobiology of interoception and affect

Trends Cogn Sci. 2024 Feb 22:S1364-6613(24)00009-3. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2024.01.009. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTScholars have argued for centuries that affective states involve interoception, or representations of the state of the body. Yet, we lack a mechanistic understanding of how signals from the body are transduced, transmitted, compressed, and integrated by the brains of humans to produce affective states. We suggest that to understand how the body contributes to affect, we first need to understand information flow through the nervous system's interoceptive pathways. We outline such a model and discuss how unique anatomical and physiological aspects of interoceptive pathways may give rise to the qualities of affective experiences in general and valence and arousal in particular. We conclude by considering implications and future directions for research on interoception, affect, emotions, and human mental experiences.PMID:38395706 | DOI:10.1016/j.tics.2024.01.009

Source: Trends Cogn Sci - February 23, 2024 Category: Neuroscience Authors: M J Feldman E Bliss-Moreau K A Lindquist Source Type: research