Page 65 - JCBP-2-1

Journal of Clinical and
Basic Psychosomatics Exteroceptive/interoceptive processing

Table 2. Pairwise comparisons of MAIA, AASP, and PANSS scores among patients with psychosis during the post‑acute phase
(PSY‑T1), the remission phase (PSY‑T2), and healthy controls (HC)
Variable PSY‑T1 (mean±SD) PSY‑T2 (mean±SD) Paired t‑test (t) Wilcoxon test (W) P‑value Bonferroni–Holm P-value
MAIA
Noticing 3.82±0.91 3.10±1.02 2.995 0.014* 0.167
Not distracting 2.23±0.97 2.07±0.90 0.641 0.528 1.105
Not worrying 2.07±1.11 2.43±1.04 −1.417 0.171 1.071
Attention regulation 3.17±1.15 3.02±1.05 0.766 0.444 1.105
Emotional awareness 3.82±1.10 3.52±1.07 1.182 0.250 1.105
Self-regulation 2.98±1.34 2.74±1.24 1.158 0.259 1.105
Body listening 3.24±1.11 2.87±1.30 1.260 0.221 1.105
Trusting 3.70±1.23 3.97±1.07 -1.336 0.181 1.105
AASP
Low regulation 32.83±7.84 28.96±7.20 2.469 0.022* 0.264
Sensory seeking 50.04±9.35 45.57±9.86 2.359 0.028* 0.308
Sensory sensitivity 40.30±11.48 36.83±7.37 1.882 0.073 0.639
Sensation avoidance 39.35±9.36 35.39±6.94 1.898 0.071 0.639
PANSS
Total 50.32±12.61 41.59±10.54 3.043 0.002* 0.032*
Positive symptoms 12.64±4.99 9.41±3.89 2.988 0.003* 0.045*
Negative symptoms 12.05±5.03 9.82±2.92 1.972 0.049* 0.490
General psychopathology 25.64±5.78 22.36±4.98 2.792 0.005* 0.070
Note: *P≤0.05.
Abbreviations: AASP: Adult/Adolescent Sensory Profile; MAIA: Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness; PANSS: Positive and
Negative Symptoms Scale; SD: standard deviation.

Table 3. MANOVA testing potential differences in MAIA and Considering the existing literature, only two studies
AASP scores between healthy controls (HC) and patients have investigated MAIA differences between patients
with psychosis at the post‑acute (PSY‑T1) and remission diagnosed with schizophrenia and HC. Torregrossa et
(PSY‑T2) phases al. identified increased “Not distracting” but reduced
[30]
MANOVA groups Pillai’s trace value F P “Attention regulation,” “Not worrying,” and “Trusting”
PSY-T1 versus HC 0.140 3.031 <0.001 scores in patients with schizophrenia compared to healthy
PSY-T2 versus HC 0.81 1.642 0.081 individuals. No difference in “Body listening,” “Emotional
awareness,” “Noticing,” and “Self-regulation” scores was
Note: *P≤0.05.
found. Conversely, Koreki et al. reported higher scores of
“Noticing” and lower scores of “Not distracting” in patients
pattern. The second one is a state perceptual feature that compared to HC .
[29]
may be more related to active phases of the psychotic
disorder. In fact, while “Noticing,” “Body-listening,” and Considering this scarce and contrasting evidence, the
“Low regulation” were higher in PSY patients compared to comparison of our findings with existing ones becomes
HC during the post-acute phase, these values returned to complex. It is important to specify that the “Noticing”
normal levels during the remission phase. domain refers to the general “awareness of uncomfortable,
comfortable, and neutral body sensations.” “Noticing”
4.1. Interoception and psychosis implies being aware that these sensations exist but does
Within the context of MAIA (Figure 1), higher scores not imply a deliberate effort to pay close attention to
[20]
in the general population should align with increased them . This heightened, passive sensibility could be
interoceptive sensibility. While this holds true for HC, seen as a maladaptive defense by which patients tend to
no studies are available for psychosis, and mixed trends rely on their internal thoughts and perceptions more than
have been observed for patients with schizophrenia. on the external reality . Similar to Koreki et al., we also
[42]

Volume 2 Issue 1 (2024) 6 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcbp.1764