Within-Person Modulation of Neural Networks following Interoceptive Awareness Training through Mindful Awareness in Body-Oriented Therapy (MABT): A Pilot Study.
Cynthia J Price, Gunes Sevinc, Norman A. S. Farb
Brain Sciences September 30, 2023 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13101396 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 22 |
| Population | Adults assigned to MABT or a no-treatment control group |
| Intervention | Mindful Awareness in Body-oriented Therapy (MABT) |
| Duration | 8-week intervention with baseline and post-intervention assessments |
| Measures | MAIA, interoceptive awareness task (neuroimaging) |
| Topics | Meditation Neuroplasticity |
| Keywords | Neural networks FMRI Randomized controlled trial Interoception |
| Key findings | Mindful Awareness in Body-oriented Therapy was associated with insula deactivation and increased functional connectivity between the dorsal attention network and somatomotor cortex, and these connectivity changes correlated positively with changes in subjective interoception. The authors suggest interoceptive training enhances sensory-prefrontal connectivity and that such changes accompany improved interoceptive awareness, while noting the small sample requires replication. |
Abstract
Interoception, the representation of the body's internal state, is increasingly recognized for informing subjective wellbeing and promoting regulatory behavior. However, few empirical reports characterize interoceptive neural networks, and fewer demonstrate changes to these networks in response to an efficacious intervention. Using a two-group randomized controlled trial, this pilot study explored within-participant neural plasticity in interoceptive networks following Mindful Awareness in Body-oriented Therapy (MABT). Participants (N = 22) were assigned to either 8 weeks of MABT or to a no-treatment control and completed baseline and post-intervention assessments that included subjective interoceptive awareness (MAIA) and neuroimaging of an interoceptive awareness task. MABT was uniquely associated with insula deactivation, increased functional connectivity between the dorsal attention network and the somatomotor cortex, and connectivity changes correlated positively with changes in subjective interoception. Within the MABT group, changes in subjective interoception interacted with changes in a predefined anterior cingulate seed region to predict changes in right middle insula activity, a putative primary interoceptive representation region. While the small sample size requires the replication of findings, results suggest that interoceptive training enhances sensory-prefrontal connectivity, and that such changes are commensurate with enhanced interoceptive awareness.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on neuroplasticity, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Increased global integration in the brain after psilocybin therapy for depression. Patients with treatment-resistant depression and patients with major depressive disorder | 2022 | Open-label trial and double-blind phase II randomized controlled trial | |
| Cognitive-Affective Neural Plasticity following Active-Controlled Mindfulness Intervention Healthy human subjects | 2012 | Randomized controlled trial | |
| LSD-induced entropic brain activity predicts subsequent personality change. Healthy adults | 2016 | Balanced-order, placebo-controlled study | n = 19 |
| Effective connectivity changes in LSD-induced altered states of consciousness in humans. Healthy participants | 2019 | Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over study | n = 25 |
| Dynamical exploration of the repertoire of brain networks at rest is modulated by psilocybin. | 2019 | Observational study with placebo session |
Citations in the library
Cited by 7
- Modulation of Posterior Default Mode Network Activity During Interoceptive Attention and Relation to Mindfulness. Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science November 1, 2024
- Immediate Effects of Mindful Awareness in Body-Oriented Therapy as an Adjunct to Medication for Opioid Use Disorder. Mindfulness November 1, 2024
- A meta-analysis of the effects of mindfulness meditation training on self-reported interoception Scientific Reports November 6, 2025
- Mindful moms: acceptability and impact of co-designed and digitally delivered video meditations for pregnant and parenting women with opioid use disorder. Annals of medicine December 1, 2025
- Patient Outcomes Improve in a Pragmatic Implementation Pilot Study of Mindful Awareness in Body-Oriented Therapy (MABT) for Chronic Pain. Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health 2025
and 2 more in the library
Cites 21
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- Interoceptive inference, emotion, and the embodied self Trends in Cognitive Sciences October 12, 2013
- Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2012
- Attending to the present: mindfulness meditation reveals distinct neural modes of self-reference Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience August 13, 2007
- Interoception, contemplative practice, and health Frontiers in Psychology June 9, 2015
and 16 more in the library