Interoception primes negative emotion processing during cognitive reappraisal: Electroencephalographical evidence

Abstract

Interoception, which refers to sensing, interpreting, and integrating internal bodily signals, has been suggested to be associated with emotion regulation. Previous research has demonstrated individual differences in interoception and its impact on emotion regulation. However, the priming effect of interoception on emotion regulation and the underlying neural mechanisms remain unknown. This study aims to examine how interoception primes different strategies of cognitive reappraisal, using electroencephalography (EEG). Thirty-seven healthy participants completed an interoceptive priming task. We found that interoception increased the amplitudes of the late positive potential (LPP) during both interpretation and detachment strategies. The priming effect of interoception in enhancing LPP amplitudes lasted longer for interpretation than for detachment. A decrease in alpha power during reinterpretation was observed after interoceptive priming, but not during detachment. The results revealed that interoception enhanced attention to bodily signals associated with negative emotions during cognitive reappraisal. Interoception showed distinct effects on different strategies of cognitive reappraisal, with different underlying neural mechanisms. Interoception-based programs may be an effective way to enhance the capacity for cognitive reappraisal.