A dual-function framework of interoception: the information and coordination modes of interoceptive signaling.

Abstract

Interoceptive signals inform the brain about physiological parameters, supporting bodily regulation-a process we refer to as the information mode of interoceptive signaling. Based on evidence in cardiac, respiratory, and gastric interoception, in rodents and humans, we argue for the existence of another mode: coordination. In the coordination mode of interoceptive signaling, the temporal patterns of interoceptive signals synchronize large-scale brain activity, independently of physiological state. The information and coordination modes might engage different pathways and brain structures. We further propose that the coordination mode underlies the single unified egocentric viewpoint from which people experience the world and themselves, a core yet unexplained feature of consciousness. The two modes would combine to generate interoceptive and emotional feelings. This hypothesis offers a novel account of some of the links between interoception and emotion in both health and psychiatric disorders.