An investigation of propranolol as an agent for the experimental manipulation of interoception.

Interoception has recently come under research focus as a potential influence on emotional and epistemic feelings. However, existing means to manipulate it experimentally have conceptual or logistical drawbacks. We investigated whether 20 mg of propranolol is a viable agent for experimentally manipulating interoception. Thirteen participants completed a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study, performing two heartbeat perception tasks, control tasks and measures of anxiety and alertness. All measures were obtained at the beginning and end of both sessions. Propranolol significantly decreased heart rate and systolic blood pressure. Heartbeat detection performance numerically decreased under propranolol, although this effect failed to reach statistical significance. Heartbeat tracking exhibited a practice effect in both sessions. There were no significant effects on the control tasks. State anxiety was unchanged within either session, and alertness decreased in both. These findings validate the propranolol paradigm, and the numerical change in heartbeat detection warrants follow-up with a larger sample.

Name thesis:degree_name

M Sc

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Neuroscience

Grantor dc:publisher

The University of Western Ontario

Year dc:date.issued

2017

Author dc:creator

• Kouptsova, Jane Evguenia

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Stefan Kohler

• Interoception
• propranolol
• heartbeat detection
• heartbeat tracking

Language dc:language.iso

en_ca

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14721/27156

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:uwo.scholaris.ca:20.500.14721/27156