11.2022 - 02.2026

Characterization of intra- and inter-individual differences in bodily self-awareness

The aim of the project is to investigate how multisensory signals contribute to bodily awareness, integrating studies on clinical populations and healthy subjects. Particular attention is given to interoception, i.e. the perception of internal signals such as heartbeat, breathing and visceral sensations, and its interaction with other sensory systems in shaping the experience of the bodily self. One line of research analyses risky decisions related to body image in anorexia nervosa and obesity, pathologies characterized by alterations in body representation and interoceptive signals processing. In parallel, we explore how interoception and exteroception, i.e. the perception of stimuli external to the body, support balance and postural control in healthy subjects, providing an integrated perspective on the processes that enable stability, adaptation and interaction with the environment, clarifying how their alteration can lead to perceptual and functional disorders.

These findings could inform the development of tailored interventions for disorders with altered bodily awareness and that put in constant danger their health, such as anorexia nervosa and obesity, by targeting interoceptive processing to improve risky decision-making and self-regulation. They may also guide balance and fall-prevention programs by integrating interoceptive training, particularly in the context of aging. Additionally, the lesion-based insights in stroke patients could enhance diagnostic precision and rehabilitation strategies for deficits in bodily self-awareness immediately post-brain injury. 

Spoke 4 : Perception and Brain-Body Interaction