Heartbeat-evoked potentials reflect the relationship between interoception and cognitive functions

Abstract

Interoception is the perception of the internal bodily state, including the autonomic nervous system. Recently, heartbeat evoked potentials (HEP) have been proposed as a measure of interoception. HEP is considered a brain potential with high temporal resolution reflecting afferent signals from the cardiovascular system without the need for subjective reporting. HEP relates to various cognitive responses such as attention, emotion, self-awareness, and symptoms of psychiatric disorders. In this review, we overview the studies of HEP, which is expected to be a useful index of mind-body interactions, and discuss the relationship between interoception and cognitive functions.