Work

Interoceptive abilities in adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder, marked by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Its symptoms in adulthood may be predominantly inattentive, and attention deficiency can impact external and internal attentional processes. Despite evidence indicating that processing of internal sensory information, interoception, may be impacted in ADHD, this has yet to be fully assessed. Fifty-seven typically developed adults and 30 with an ADHD diagnosis underwent assessment of interoceptive abilities incorporating behavioural and self-reported measures of interoception accuracy (i.e., how accurately body signals can be perceived) and attention (attention focused on interoception). Psychophysiological measurements using the heartbeat counting task (HCT) were used to assess behavioural accuracy, confidence ratings, and interoceptive insight (the relationship between behavioural accuracy and confidence ratings). Additionally, questionnaires assessed self-report accuracy and self-report attention. An analysis of covariance for each component of interoceptive abilities was performed to examine group differences. Individuals with ADHD displayed lower behavioural accuracy, confidence ratings, and self-report accuracy than those without ADHD after controlling for ethnicity, age, autistic traits, alexithymia, depression, or social functioning. Ethnicity, age, and depression also had significant effects on distinct interoceptive abilities. These findings suggest interoceptive impairment maybe a feature of ADHD even after controlling for potentially confounding variables. However, these results should be interpreted cautiously due to the limitations of the study, such as the narrow age group and small sample size. More research is needed, utilising a broad range of techniques to confirm differences in interoceptive dimensions in ADHD and their potential impact. • The present study is the first to inspect several interoceptive facets in ADHD • Reduced behavioural and self-report accuracy, and confidence ratings were found in ADHD • Differences in interoception were impacted by ethnicity, age and depression • No facets of interoceptive facets were linked to ADHD traits in both groups. • Interoceptive deficits may still exist despite sufficient internal attention.

Source: Biological Psychology

DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109161

Authors: Burcu Göz Tebrizcik, Alexandra L. Georgescu, Susannah Pick, Eleanor J. Dommett

Institution: King's College London

Language: English

Topic: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,440