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The following is a summary of “Multidimensional Assessment of Body Representation and Interoception in Multiple Sclerosis,” published in the May 2024 issue of Neurology by Raimo et al.
In Multiple Sclerosis (MS), abnormal sensory processing may disrupt how people with MS (pWMS) represent their bodies for action and perception.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to assess body representation (BR) changes and interoceptive dimensions in pWMS.
They conducted comparison analyses on tasks and questionnaires assessing all BR and interoceptive dimensions between 36 individuals diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and 42 individuals without MS (Healthy controls) and between 23 individuals diagnosed with progressive MS (PMS) and 33 Healthy controls.
The results showed that pWMS demonstrated decreased interoceptive accuracy compared to controls. The group with RRMS also displayed elevated levels of visceral interoceptive sensibility. No disparities were observed in BR accuracy measures, although those with PMS had extended response times during the aBR task.
Investigators found that abnormal interoception and body representation may contribute to body symptoms in MS, suggesting the importance of assessment for clinical care.
Source: msard-journal.com/article/S2211-0348(24)00269-4/abstract