The Role of Interoception in the Pathogenesis and Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa: A Narrative Review

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a psychiatric illness characterized by extreme overvaluation of weight and disturbed eating. Despite having the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness, the etiology and neurobiology of AN are poorly understood. A growing body of research has begun to elucidate the role of reward processing, as well as cognitive and limbic networks, in the symptomology of AN. However, these advances have so far failed to contribute therapeutically, suggesting a new understanding may be necessary. A disturbance in the interoceptive system, involved in perceiving and interpreting the physiological condition of the body, has recently been proposed as a central mechanism of pathology in AN, through links to hunger and satiety, risk prediction errors, emotional awareness, and body dysmorphia. This review summarizes the existing literature in order to clarify possible underlying mechanisms and proposes a novel model of the neuro-circuitry of AN. Detailed neuroanatomical studies and new methods for studying interoception may allow further refinement of this model and the development of improved treatment.