#327 Sarah Garfinkel: Interoception, Emotion, And Mental Health
RECORDED ON FEBRUARY 20th, 2020.
Dr. Sarah Garfinkel is Professor of neuroscience and psychiatry based at the University of Sussex and the Brighton and Sussex Medical School. Her research is focused on the link between interoception and emotion and memory. In 2018, she was selected as one of 11 researchers on the Nature Index 2018 Rising Stars. Dr. Garfinkel’s research focuses on interoception, the ability to sense one’s own body, and the link between interoception and the brain. She specifically focuses on the heartbeat, and has shown that the heartbeat, and perception thereof, influences the way people process fear. Her research has furthermore shown that autistic people experience difficulty judging their heartbeat, causing anxiety and stress. This research has led to the development of a new therapy technique called interoception-directed therapy, which aims to reduce anxiety in autistic individuals.
In this episode, we talk about interoception, and how it connects with emotion, cognition, and mental health. We first answer what interoception is about, and how it connects with how the brain works. We also discuss how emotions work, and connect them with decision-making, and refer to memory and cognition. We then get into the association between interoception and mental health and psychiatry, and we go through several examples of mental disorder, like PTSD, addiction, autism, depression, and anxiety.
Time Links:
What is interoception?
Interoception and the brain
How emotions work
Emotions and decision-making
Memory and cognition
Interoception and mental health
PTSD and amygdala function
Insular cortex activation, binge drinking, alcoholism, and addiction
Autism
Depression and anxiety
Can we improve clinical practices with interoception research?
Follow Dr. Garfinkel’s work!
Follow Dr. Garfinkel’s work:
Faculty page: http://bit.ly/37fSwju
ResearchGate profile: http://bit.ly/2Qqr9fU
How the body and mind talk to one another to understand the world (Aeon): http://bit.ly/38Mh3xA
Can You Feel Your Heartbeat? The Answer Says a Lot About You: http://bit.ly/37LGhea