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The aim of the study was to examine the effects of acute dissociation on emotional responsivity in healthy individuals. We used a previously validated technique (mirror-gazing, Caputo, 2010) to experimentally induce acute dissociation in non-clinical participants and assessed post-induction subjective responsivity (ratings of valence and arousal) to standardized emotional images. Fifty non-clinical participants were randomised to either the dissociation induction (n = 25) or control conditions (n = 25). The dissociation manipulation effect was corroborated by a significant post-induction elevation in state dissociation in the dissociation-induction group relative to controls (p =.004). The dissociation-induction group rated negative (p =.028) and neutral (p =.025) stimuli as significantly less unpleasant than controls. There was also a non-significant trend for positive stimuli to be rated as less pleasant by the dissociation-induction group compared to controls (p =.060). These findings provide experimental evidence for the short-term alleviation (i.e., emotional numbing) of negative affect during dissociative states, which may serve as a coping mechanism for some individuals. However, this tendency of emotional numbing also reduced positive affective responses to pleasant stimuli to some extent. Further investigation of dissociative phenomena and their impact on emotional processing appears warranted. • The dissociation induction procedure successfully elicited acute state dissociation. • The dissociation-induction group displayed post-induction emotional numbing. • They rated negative and neutral images as less unpleasant than controls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Altered interoception may be a pathophysiological mechanism in functional neurological disorder (FND). However, findings have been inconsistent across interoceptive dimensions in FND including functional motor symptoms (FMS) and seizures (FS). Here, individuals with FMS/FS (n = 17) and healthy controls (HC, n = 17) completed measures of interoceptive accuracy and insight (adapted heartbeat tracking task [HTT] with confidence ratings), a time estimation control task (TET) and the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness–2 (MAIA-2) to assess interoceptive sensibility. The groups did not differ in interoceptive accuracy (p = 1.00, g = 0.00) or confidence (p =.99, g = 0.004), although the FMS/FS group displayed lower scores on the "Not-Distracting" (p <.001, g = 1.42) and "Trusting" (p =.005, g = 1.17) MAIA-2 subscales, relative to HCs. The groups did not differ in TET performance (p =.82, g = 0.08). There was a positive relationship between HTT accuracy and confidence (insight) in HCs (r =.61, p =.016) but not in FMS/FS (r = 0.11, p =.69). HTT confidence was positively correlated with MAIA-2 "Self-Regulation" (r = 0.77, p =.002) and negatively correlated with FND symptom severity (r = −0.84, p <.001) and impact (r = −0.86, p <.001) in FMS/FS. Impaired interoceptive accuracy may not be a core feature in FMS/FS, but reduced insight and altered sensibility may be relevant. Reduced certainty in self-evaluations of bodily experiences may contribute to the pathogenesis of FND symptoms. • Intact interoceptive accuracy in functional motor symptoms/seizures (FMS/FS). • Potentially reduced interoceptive insight in FMS/FS versus healthy controls (HC). • Lower levels of "Trusting" and "Not-Distracting" in FMS/FS compared to HC. • Elevated "Self-regulation" positively related to interoceptive confidence in FMS/FS. • Elevated symptom severity/impact negatively related to interoceptive confidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]