Quadratic Relationship Between Alexithymia and Interoceptive Accuracy, and Results From a Pilot Mindfulness Intervention.
Rachel V Aaron, Scott D. Blain, Matthew A. Snodgress, Sohee Park
Frontiers in Psychiatry 2020 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00132 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 76 |
| Population | Young adults |
| Intervention | mindfulness-based body scan meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Affect labeling Alexithymia Emotional awareness Emotional granularity Interoception Interoceptive accuracy Interoceptive sensibility Mindfulness meditation |
| Key findings | Heightened alexithymia may be associated with either relatively high or low interoceptive accuracy, and a brief mindfulness meditation did not improve interoceptive accuracy or sensibility beyond a control condition. |
Abstract
Alexithymia, or a reduced ability to label and describe one's emotions, is a transdiagnostic construct associated with poor psychosocial outcomes. Currently, the mechanisms underlying affective deficits associated with alexithymia are unclear, hindering targeted treatment delivery. Recent research suggests deficient interoceptive awareness, or reduced awareness of one's internal bodily state, may be key in the etiology of alexithymia. It has long been demonstrated that mindfulness meditation can alter perceptions of one's own emotions and bodily cues. Therefore, it is possible that mindfulness meditation may reduce affective deficits associated with alexithymia by improving interoceptive awareness. In this study, we aimed to (1) elucidate the role of interoceptive accuracy and sensibility, two dimensions of interoceptive awareness, in alexithymia, and (2) test the efficacy of a brief mindfulness meditation for improving interoceptive accuracy, interoceptive sensibility, and emotional awareness. Seventy six young adults completed a baseline heartbeat detection task, to assess interoceptive accuracy and sensibility, and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 item. They were randomly assigned to a brief mindfulness-based body scan meditation intervention or control condition. Afterwards, participants completed tasks assessing emotional awareness (i.e., affect labeling, emotional granularity) and follow-up heartbeat detection task. Relationships between alexithymia and interoceptive accuracy and sensibility were best described as quadratic (p = 0.002) and linear (p = 0.040), respectively. Participants in both conditions showed robust improvements in interoceptive accuracy from baseline to follow-up (p < 0.001; η p 2 = 0.15); however, there were no group (meditation or control) differences in degree of improvement. Similarly, there were no group differences in affect labeling or emotional granularity. These preliminary results suggest that heightened alexithymia may be associated with either relatively high or low interoceptive accuracy. The meditation condition did not result in improved interoceptive accuracy or sensibility above and beyond that of a control group. Improvements in interoceptive accuracy, interoceptive sensibility, and emotional awareness may require longer or more interactive intervention approaches. More research is needed to parse the potentially complex relationship between alexithymia and interoceptive awareness, and to develop targeted treatment approaches to ameliorating associated affective deficits.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Interoceptive Ability and Emotion Regulation in Mind-Body Interventions: An Integrative Review. Behavioral Sciences November 18, 2024
- Mindfulness and Objective Measures of Body Awareness: A Preregistered Systematic Review and Multilevel Meta-Analysis. Biopsychosocial science and medicine May 1, 2025
- Case Report: Case report : Mindfulness training led to catharsis and mindfulness-to-meaning in a patient with social anxiety disorder comorbid with persistent depressive disorder (Dysthymia) F1000Research December 6, 2024
- The Impact of a Short Body–Focused Meditation on Body Ownership and Interoceptive Abilities Mindfulness 2023
- Mindfulness Training led to Catharsis and Mindfulness-To-Meaning in a Patient with Social Anxiety Disorder Comorbid with Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia) - A Case Report with Patient's Personal Note -
Cites 6
- Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation Perspectives on Psychological Science October 10, 2017
- Interoceptive awareness in experienced meditators Psychophysiology May 22, 2008
- The Emotion Mapping Activity: Preliminary evaluation of a mindfulness‐informed exercise to improve emotion labeling in alexithymic persons Scandinavian Journal of Psychology March 8, 2018
- Taking time to feel our body: Steady increases in heartbeat perception accuracy and decreases in alexithymia over 9 months of contemplative mental training. Psychophysiology March 1, 2017
- Preliminary evidence about the effects of meditation on interoceptive sensitivity and social cognition. Behavioral and Brain Functions December 23, 2013
and 1 more in the library