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Interoceptive awareness declines with age
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Interoceptive awareness declines with age

Sahib S Khalsa, David Rudrauf and Daniel Tranel
Psychophysiology, Vol.46(6), pp.1130-1136
11/2009
DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8986.2009.00859.x
PMCID: PMC2865139
PMID: 19602175
url
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/2865139View
Open Access

Abstract

Aging has been shown to increase sensory thresholds for a variety of exteroceptive and proprioceptive stimuli. However, the influence of aging on interoceptive awareness has received relatively little empirical attention. Here we report an inverse association between aging and interoception, as indexed by the ability to sense the heartbeat at rest. In a group of 59 participants ranging in age from 22 to 63 years, age inversely predicted heartbeat detection ability, both within and across several measurement sessions. On average, age accounted for 30% of the variance in heartbeat detection accuracy. Other attribute variables including body mass index and sex were not related to heartbeat detection ability. These findings provide clear empirical evidence that interoception, much like exteroception and proprioception, declines with age.
Sensation - physiology Acoustic Stimulation Heart - physiology Humans Middle Aged Aging - psychology Male Awareness - physiology Sex Characteristics Executive Function - physiology Psychomotor Performance - physiology Young Adult Regression Analysis Self Concept Electrocardiography Heart Rate - physiology Adult Female

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