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Heartbeat evoked potential differences between anxiety disorders

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This study examined differences in interoceptive processing between individuals with social anxiety and generalized anxiety, using the heartbeat-evoked potential (HEP) as a neural marker of attention to internal bodily signals. HEPs were recorded during a heartbeat counting task to assess the degree of interoceptive attention. Consistent with prior research linking elevated HEP amplitude to perceived internal threat, results showed that individuals with high social anxiety exhibited significantly greater HEP amplitudes compared to those with low anxiety. In contrast, participants with high generalized anxiety did not show increased HEP activity, suggesting distinct neural processing mechanisms across anxiety subtypes. These findings highlight the importance of differentiating between types of anxiety in interoception research and suggest that social anxiety may involve heightened sensitivity to internal cues, which may have implications for diagnosis and treatment.

Source: SHAREOK (University of Oklahoma; Oklahoma State University; Central Oklahoma University)

Authors: Shellhammer, K., Hahn, B. J.

Language: English

Topic: Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes

Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W7110513552

FWCI:

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