Interoception Accuracy Differences in Patients with Chronic Tension-type Headache

A BSTRACT Background/Aim: Tension-type headache (TTH) is the most common headache in the general population. Interoception refers to the perception of the body’s internal physiological state, in which bodily signals are detected, interpreted, and integrated by the nervous system. Interoception accuracy (IAc) is the ability to detect physiologic events occurring in the body. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the differences in IAc between patients with chronic TTH and healthy individuals. Methods: Fifty-one individuals with chronic TTH and fifty-one healthy volunteers were included in the study. Scales were administered to the participants. The heartbeat counting task was used to assess interoceptive accuracy (IAc). Results: IAc was lower in the patient group than in the healthy group ( t = −6.485; P < 0.001). The total score of the Beck Depression Scale was higher in the patient group than in the healthy group ( Z = −4.706; P < 0.001). The total Beck Anxiety Scale score was also higher in the patient group than in the healthy group ( t = 4.247; P = 0.001). Conclusion: Given the link between chronic pain and interoception, we propose that reduced IAc in chronic patients with TTH may be due to altered insular cortex function, a region integral to both pain processing and interoception.