See the published version of this preprint at Trials.
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Study protocol
Steven Davey
University of Otago Wellington
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0470-6222
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
Background: William James’ 1884 paper “What is an emotion?” has generated much recent interest in affective science regarding somatic contributions to emotion. Studies of interoception (“sensing the physiological condition of the body”) suggest that sensing specific parts of the body contribute to the production of emotion, namely when sensing the viscera (i.e. ‘visceroception’ of the heart, gut or lungs). Improved visceroception has, for instance, been linked to increased emotional intensity, suggesting a role for interoception in emotion regulation that may pertain specifically to visceral bodily locations. Thus, in addition to asking James’ question, “What is an emotion?”, we ask, “Where is an emotion?”. Further, there is an evidence base pointing to the connections between emotion regulation and suicide, and between interoception and suicide. This is a preliminary trial investigating whether targeted interoception/visceroception improves emotion regulation. Ultimately, the overall project aims to inform suicide prevention efforts.
Methods: The trial utilises a pre-test/post-test control group design, with two experimental groups undergoing visceroceptive interventions (gut or heart focus) and a control group. The interventions will run for 8 weeks. A spatial cueing task will measure reaction times to bodily changes pertaining to gut or heart focus. A stop/signal task will measure emotional inhibition, which is hypothesised to obscure awareness of active bodily locations. Visceroceptive ability will be tracked using a heartbeat estimation task, a water load test, and by self-report questionnaire. The sample will consist of healthcare professionals and healthcare students. Despite these being groups that represent a relatively high suicide risk among professional and student groups, all participants will be healthy, given the preliminary nature of this trial.
Discussion: To our knowledge, this will be the first project to address whether emotional feeling presents as a localised bodily phenomenon and whether trained awareness of emotional localisation can improve emotion regulation. It will also be the first to investigate relationships between interoception and emotional inhibition (i.e. whether a sustained interoceptive practice leads to the disinhibition of bodily emotional sensations, which can positively contribute to emotion regulation). These empirical findings on emotion regulation from a healthy sample will be used to inform a desk-based enquiry into the role of embodied emotion in suicide prevention, which may make a significant contribution to a growing evidence base on interoception and suicide.
Universal Trial Number (UTN): U1111-1221-0201
Trial registration number: ACTRN12619000324112
Date registered: 4/03/2019
Keywords
Emotion regulation; suicide; localisation; interoception; visceroception.
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CURRENT STATUS: Published
View the published article at Trials.
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Editorial decision: Accept
On 06 Jun, 2020
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Received 01 Jun, 2020
Review #2 received
Received 19 May, 2020
Review #3 received
Received 19 May, 2020
Reviewer #3 agreed
On 14 May, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 11 May, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 23 Apr, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 23 Apr, 2020
Editor assigned
On 22 Apr, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 21 Apr, 2020
Version 2
Posted 18 Feb, 2020
No comments provided
Editorial decision: Minor revision
On 08 Apr, 2020
Review #2 received
Received 27 Mar, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 22 Mar, 2020
Review #1 received
Received 24 Feb, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 18 Feb, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 18 Feb, 2020
Editor assigned
On 17 Feb, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 16 Feb, 2020
No comments provided
Editorial decision: Major revision
On 05 Dec, 2019
Review #2 received
Received 04 Dec, 2019
Reviewer #3 agreed
On 19 Nov, 2019
Review #1 received
Received 22 Oct, 2019
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 18 Oct, 2019
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 08 Oct, 2019
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 07 Oct, 2019
Editor assigned
On 06 Sep, 2019
First submitted
On 19 Jul, 2019
Submission checks complete
On 19 Jul, 2019
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A new preprint design is coming!
We have improved readability, clarity, accessibility, and opportunities for engagement.
See the published version of this preprint at Trials.
This is a preprint, a preliminary version of a manuscript that has not completed peer review at a journal. Research Square does not conduct peer review prior to posting preprints. The posting of a preprint on this server should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its validity or suitability for dissemination as established information or for guiding clinical practice.
Learn more about In Review
Study protocol
Steven Davey
University of Otago Wellington
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0470-6222
Badges
Prescreen
This manuscript passed our Prescreen assessment
Complete author information
Appropriate declaration statements
Potential risks to human health
Prescreen
Peer Review Timeline
CURRENT STATUS: Published
View the published article at Trials.
No community comments so far
Editorial decision: Accept
On 06 Jun, 2020
Review #1 received
Received 01 Jun, 2020
Review #2 received
Received 19 May, 2020
Review #3 received
Received 19 May, 2020
Reviewer #3 agreed
On 14 May, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 11 May, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 23 Apr, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 23 Apr, 2020
Editor assigned
On 22 Apr, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 21 Apr, 2020
Version 2
Posted 18 Feb, 2020
No comments provided
Editorial decision: Minor revision
On 08 Apr, 2020
Review #2 received
Received 27 Mar, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 22 Mar, 2020
Review #1 received
Received 24 Feb, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 18 Feb, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 18 Feb, 2020
Editor assigned
On 17 Feb, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 16 Feb, 2020
No comments provided
Editorial decision: Major revision
On 05 Dec, 2019
Review #2 received
Received 04 Dec, 2019
Reviewer #3 agreed
On 19 Nov, 2019
Review #1 received
Received 22 Oct, 2019
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 18 Oct, 2019
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 08 Oct, 2019
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 07 Oct, 2019
Editor assigned
On 06 Sep, 2019
First submitted
On 19 Jul, 2019
Submission checks complete
On 19 Jul, 2019
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
View the published article at Trials.
Background: William James’ 1884 paper “What is an emotion?” has generated much recent interest in affective science regarding somatic contributions to emotion. Studies of interoception (“sensing the physiological condition of the body”) suggest that sensing specific parts of the body contribute to the production of emotion, namely when sensing the viscera (i.e. ‘visceroception’ of the heart, gut or lungs). Improved visceroception has, for instance, been linked to increased emotional intensity, suggesting a role for interoception in emotion regulation that may pertain specifically to visceral bodily locations. Thus, in addition to asking James’ question, “What is an emotion?”, we ask, “Where is an emotion?”. Further, there is an evidence base pointing to the connections between emotion regulation and suicide, and between interoception and suicide. This is a preliminary trial investigating whether targeted interoception/visceroception improves emotion regulation. Ultimately, the overall project aims to inform suicide prevention efforts.
Methods: The trial utilises a pre-test/post-test control group design, with two experimental groups undergoing visceroceptive interventions (gut or heart focus) and a control group. The interventions will run for 8 weeks. A spatial cueing task will measure reaction times to bodily changes pertaining to gut or heart focus. A stop/signal task will measure emotional inhibition, which is hypothesised to obscure awareness of active bodily locations. Visceroceptive ability will be tracked using a heartbeat estimation task, a water load test, and by self-report questionnaire. The sample will consist of healthcare professionals and healthcare students. Despite these being groups that represent a relatively high suicide risk among professional and student groups, all participants will be healthy, given the preliminary nature of this trial.
Discussion: To our knowledge, this will be the first project to address whether emotional feeling presents as a localised bodily phenomenon and whether trained awareness of emotional localisation can improve emotion regulation. It will also be the first to investigate relationships between interoception and emotional inhibition (i.e. whether a sustained interoceptive practice leads to the disinhibition of bodily emotional sensations, which can positively contribute to emotion regulation). These empirical findings on emotion regulation from a healthy sample will be used to inform a desk-based enquiry into the role of embodied emotion in suicide prevention, which may make a significant contribution to a growing evidence base on interoception and suicide.
Universal Trial Number (UTN): U1111-1221-0201
Trial registration number: ACTRN12619000324112
Date registered: 4/03/2019
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
This is a list of supplementary files associated with this preprint. Click to download.
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