title: How do you feel when you can't feel your body? Interoception, functional connectivity and emotional processing in depersonalization-derealization disorder.
abstract: Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder (DD) typically manifests as a disruption of body self-awareness. Interoception -defined as the cognitive processing of body signals- has been extensively considered as a key processing for body self-awareness. In consequence, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether there are systematic differences in interoception between a patient with DD and controls that might explain the disembodiment symptoms suffered in this disease. To assess interoception, we utilized a heartbeat detection task and measures of functional connectivity derived from fMRI networks in interoceptive/exteroceptivo/mind-wandering states. Additionally, we evaluated empathic abilities to test the association between interoception and emotional experience. The results showed patient's impaired performance in the heartbeat detection task when compared to controls. Furthermore, regarding functional connectivity, we found a lower global brain connectivity of the patient relative to controls only in the interoceptive state. He also presented a particular pattern of impairments in affective empathy. To our knowledge, this is the first experimental research that assesses the relationship between interoception and DD combining behavioral and neurobiological measures. Our results suggest that altered neural mechanisms and cognitive processes regarding body signaling might be engaged in DD phenomenology. Moreover, our study contributes experimental data to the comprehension of brain-body interactions and the emergence of self-awareness and emotional feelings.
authors: Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience (LPEN), INECO (Institute of Cognitive Neurology) and Institute of Neuroscience, Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina; UDP-INECO Foundation Core on Neuroscience (UIFCoN), Diego Portales University, Santiago, Chile; National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors: Lucas
authors: L
authors: Sedeño
authors: Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience (LPEN), INECO (Institute of Cognitive Neurology) and Institute of Neuroscience, Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina; UDP-INECO Foundation Core on Neuroscience (UIFCoN), Diego Portales University, Santiago, Chile; National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors: Blas
authors: B
authors: Couto
authors: Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience (LPEN), INECO (Institute of Cognitive Neurology) and Institute of Neuroscience, Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina; UDP-INECO Foundation Core on Neuroscience (UIFCoN), Diego Portales University, Santiago, Chile; National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors: Margherita
authors: M
authors: Melloni
authors: UDP-INECO Foundation Core on Neuroscience (UIFCoN), Diego Portales University, Santiago, Chile; Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors: Andrés
authors: A
authors: Canales-Johnson
authors: Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience (LPEN), INECO (Institute of Cognitive Neurology) and Institute of Neuroscience, Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors: Adrián
authors: A
authors: Yoris
authors: Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience (LPEN), INECO (Institute of Cognitive Neurology) and Institute of Neuroscience, Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina; UDP-INECO Foundation Core on Neuroscience (UIFCoN), Diego Portales University, Santiago, Chile; National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors: Sandra
authors: S
authors: Baez
authors: Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience (LPEN), INECO (Institute of Cognitive Neurology) and Institute of Neuroscience, Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors: Sol
authors: S
authors: Esteves
authors: Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience (LPEN), INECO (Institute of Cognitive Neurology) and Institute of Neuroscience, Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors: Marcela
authors: M
authors: Velásquez
authors: Physics Department, Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience, FCEyN UBA and IFIBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Paris, France.
authors: Pablo
authors: P
authors: Barttfeld
authors: Physics Department, Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience, FCEyN UBA and IFIBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina; National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Universidad Torcuato Di Tella, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors: Mariano
authors: M
authors: Sigman
authors: Anxiety Clinic, INECO (Institute of Cognitive Neurology), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors: Rafael
authors: R
authors: Kichic
authors: National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Departamento de Matemáticas y Ciencias, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina; David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America.
authors: Dante
authors: D
authors: Chialvo
authors: Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience (LPEN), INECO (Institute of Cognitive Neurology) and Institute of Neuroscience, Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina; UDP-INECO Foundation Core on Neuroscience (UIFCoN), Diego Portales University, Santiago, Chile; National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Australian Research Council (ACR) Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Facundo
authors: F
authors: Manes
authors: Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience (LPEN), INECO (Institute of Cognitive Neurology) and Institute of Neuroscience, Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors: Tristan A
authors: TA
authors: Bekinschtein
authors: Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience (LPEN), INECO (Institute of Cognitive Neurology) and Institute of Neuroscience, Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina; UDP-INECO Foundation Core on Neuroscience (UIFCoN), Diego Portales University, Santiago, Chile; Universidad Autónoma del Caribe, Barranquilla, Colombia; Australian Research Council (ACR) Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Agustin
authors: A
authors: Ibanez
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D063132:Connectome; D003861:Depersonalization / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D004644:Emotions; D004645:Empathy; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D065812:Interoception; D008297:Male; D055815:Young Adult