The bodily parallel: Bridging Gaps in Current Theories of Addiction and Interoception

*this is a theoretical presentation

Current neuroscience models of addiction provide mechanistic explanations for the development, maintenance and prognosis of addictive disorders. Such mechanisms encompass reward sensitivity, incentive sensitization, habits, negative/positive reinforcement, as well as impaired control or cognitive dysfunctions. Beyond their diversity, the common predominant focus of these models lies in understanding the cognitive, neural, and molecular dimensions of addiction, primarily from a brain-centred perspective.

Interoception, the perception and integration of physiological states in the brain, is gaining relevance as a mechanism underlying adaptive and maladaptive cognitive and motivational responses. Bodily states can influence and direct action to maintain homeostatic balance across a large variety of behavioural and cognitive components. Interoceptive research , introduces a multidisciplinary dimension to the study of human behavior, spanning neuroscience, psychophysiology, cognitive and emotional adaptation.

Despite an emerging body of research on the interoceptive correlates of addiction, prevailing theories largely overlook the role of interoceptive processes.  Here, we not only demonstrate that interoception should be incorporated into the currently dominant neuroscience models of addictive disorders, but also that the key assumptions of these models, currently focused on brain-related mechanisms, could be reinterpreted through an interoceptive lens. We propose a high-level overview of different addiction models and suggest examples of existing and future research on interoception and addiction that can offer a bodily parallel to brain-centred theoretical concepts. Acknowledging the body as a critical interface between the brain and the environment, we assert that incorporating this additional interoceptive perspective in existing theories can enrich our understanding of the etiological and clinical factors of addictive disorders, resulting in improved tools for experimentation, theory development, diagnosis, and clinical practice.