• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.197-209
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• 2024

Objectives: In this functional magnetic resonance imaging study, we aimed to investigate the differences in brain activation between individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically developing (TD) individuals during perspective taking. We also examined the association between brain activation and empathic and interoceptive abilities. Methods: During scanning, participants from the ASD (n=17) and TD (n=22) groups were shown pain stimuli and asked to rate the level of the observed pain from both self- and other-perspectives. Empathic abilities, including perspective taking, were measured using an empathic questionnaire, and three dimensions of interoception were assessed: interoceptive accuracy, interoceptive sensibility, and interoceptive trait prediction errors. Results: During self-perspective taking, the ASD group exhibited greater activation in the left precuneus than the TD group. During other-perspective taking, relative hyperactivation extended to areas including the right precuneus, right superior frontal gyrus, left caudate nucleus, and left amygdala. Brain activation levels in the right superior frontal gyrus while taking other-perspective were negatively correlated with interoceptive accuracy, and those in the left caudate were negatively correlated with perspective taking ability in the ASD group. Conclusion: Individuals with ASD show atypical brain activation during perspective taking. Notably, their brain regions associated with stress reactions and escape responses are overactivated when taking other-perspective. This overactivity is related to poor interoceptive accuracy, suggesting that individuals with ASD may experience difficulties with the self-other distinction or atypical embodiment when considering another person's perspective.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Sensory Integration
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.15-24
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• 2024

Objective : The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between interoceptive awareness, sensory processing, and heart rate variability which reflects the function of the autonomic nervous system. Methods : Young adults completed the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP) and the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA) for sensory processing and interoceptive awareness, respectively. Heart rate was recorded using electrocardiograms during the resting period, and the standard deviation of normal-to-normal interval (SDNN) was extracted. The correlation between sensory sections of the AASP and subscales of the MAIA was analyzed, and the differences in touch and interoceptive awareness between groups with high and low SDNN were compared. Results : The touch of the AASP showed a relatively strong correlation with the subscales of the MAIA. Higher touch scores were associated with lower scores of not-worrying and attention regulation, but higher emotional awareness. The high SDNN group showed a tendency of higher interoceptive awareness compared to the low SDNN group. Conclusion : This study demonstrated the tactile processing has the relationship with interoceptive awareness and individuals with higher heart rate variability tend to have greater interoceptive awareness. This study provides information on interoceptive awareness, which is emphasized in recent occupational therapy and sensory integration practices, and deepens the understanding of neurophysiological mechanism of sensory integration.