Individual differences in the interoceptive states of hunger, fullness and thirst

Stevenson, Mahmut & Rooney (2015) examined whether there are individual differences in several aspects of and possible causes of ingestion-related interoception (ability to perceive internal bodily states) such as signals from the viscera, motivational states, affective reactions, as well as associated cognitions. Individual variation in almost all aspects of interoception was documented for hunger, fullness and thirst – including how participants use, prioritise and integrate visceral, motivational, affective and cognitive information. The review found variation between individuals may arise from multiple causes, including genetic influences, developmental alterations thought to possibly result from child feeding practices, and from conditions such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders and certain subtypes of obesity. Ingestion-related interoception could also be affected by diets with low nutritional value and dietary restraint. The practical and theoretical consequences of these individual differences are discussed in this review. Stevenson et. al (2015) stated that certain forms of brain injury (notably to the temporal lobes) are associated with impaired ingestion-related interoception. [NPID: interoception, interoceptive awareness, viscera, motivational states, affective reactions, cognition, hunger, fullness, thirst, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, brain injury]

Year: 2015

Reference: Stevenson, R. J., Mahmut, M., & Rooney, K. (2015). Individual differences in the interoceptive states of hunger, fullness and thirst. Appetite, 95, 44–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2015.06.008

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