A Preliminary Investigation into Heart Rate Self-regulation and Interoceptive Sensitivity in Subclinical Depression: Insights from Altered Brain-Heart Communication

Clinical and subclinical depression are associated with both psychological and somatic symptoms, along with altered brain structures such as the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), insula, and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). These regions are crucial components of the central autonomic network (CAN), which plays a key role in heart rate regulation and interoception through the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The present study aims to explore the association between interoceptive sensibility, the ability to self-regulate cardiac activity, and subclinical depression defined as dysphoria. Participants were required to complete questionnaires to evaluate their interoceptive sensibility, depressive, and anxiety symptoms, and regulate their heart rate (HR) during biofeedback tasks. The performance of HR self-regulation and interoceptive sensibility was analysed between the dysphoric and control groups. The results indicated that dysphoric individuals performed worse on self-regulating HR tasks compared to controls and exhibited an altered pattern of interoceptive sensibility. Additionally, anxiety mediated the relationship between interoceptive sensibility and dysphoria. In conclusion, dysphoria is associated with altered interoception and self-regulation of bodily activity.