'Emotional blindness' - not autism - linked to impaired perception of internal sensations

A new study by researchers from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) has identified a link between impaired interoception - the ability to perceive internal sensations such as hunger, pain, disgust or fear - and alexithymia or 'emotional blindness.' Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has previously been linked to interoception, which is thought to be responsible for the social and emotional difficulties that are experienced by people with autism. Alexithymia or 'emotional blindness' results in difficulties in experiencing and expressing one's emotions, and is found in approximately one in two people with ASD, compared to one in 10 people without ASD. Until now it has been unclear whether people with ASD have poor interoception due to their symptoms of ASD or alexithymia. Punit Shah , first author from the MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre at the IoPPN, King's College London, said: 'Interoception could be described as how you sense internal body signals. This is related to a variety of different socio-emotional abilities such as recognising one's own emotional state, a necessary precursor for the recognition of other's emotions and empathising with them. 'One example could be if someone is visibly angry towards you and your body processes this by increasing your heart rate, making you feel anxious and upset.