Interoception, Body–Brain Health and Neurodivergence: SEDSConnective in Scientific American

12 minutes ago
4 min read

To close this year, Scientific American has shone a spotlight on a fast-evolving research area that is central to our community: interoception, the sense that helps us notice and interpret internal signals from our own bodies, such as heartbeat, breathing, temperature and hunger (1)

In the feature article “A Distorted Mind-Body Connection May Explain Common Mental Illnesses”, science journalist Diana Kwon explores how disruptions in interoception may contribute to anxiety, eating disorders and other mental health difficulties.

Researchers such as Professor Critchley, Professor Garfinkel and Dr Quadt plus others are helping to show how the body and brain continually communicate and what happens when this system becomes either overactive, underactive or misread.scientificamerican+2

What is interoception?

Interoception is one of our “inner” senses and refers to how the brain receives, interprets and predicts signals from inside the body. These signals contribute not only to physical awareness (for example, pain, fatigue or heart rate) but also to emotional states, decision-making and how safe or unsafe the world feels. 1.

Differences or disruptions in interoception have been linked to: (4,12, 9)

Anxiety and panic
Eating disorders and body image difficulties
Depression and trauma-related conditions
Neurodivergent experiences, including autism and ADHD
Hypermobility conditions, chronic pain and fatigue emotional dysregulation
Autism ADHD pain dysautonomia chronic fatigue
Depression anxiety MCAS hypermobility chronic illness

Interoception, hypermobility and neurodivergence

Researchers are increasingly documenting strong connections between joint hypermobility, autonomic dysfunction (postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS Othostatic Intolerance TS) and neurodivergence, including autism and ADHD. Differences in connective tissue may help explain why many neurodivergent people experience orthostatic intolerance, pain and other physical symptoms alongside sensory and interoceptive differences (4)

Studies of people with Ehlers–Danlos syndromes and related conditions suggest that difficulties in regulating attention to internal sensations can worsen anxiety and low mood, while more supportive interoceptive attention skills can reduce psychological distress. This aligns closely with the experiences of many in our community, who describe feeling “too much” or “too little” of what is going on inside their bodies, often without validation or understanding.sedsconnective+2

SEDSConnective’s role and recognition

We were delighted that our founder, Jane Green MBE, and SEDSConnective were included in this Scientific American article. As the piece notes:sedsconnective+1

“Green is chair and founder of SEDSConnective, a charity dedicated to neurodivergent people with connective tissue disorders such as Ehlers-Danlos syndromes. These conditions tend to overlap with anxiety disorders, and Green is now advocating for interoception-based therapies to help affected people.”sedsconnective+1

SEDSConnective is the world’s first user-led charity dedicated to neurodivergent people with hypermobility and related connective tissue disorders, including Ehlers–Danlos syndromes (EDS), Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders (HSD), dysautonomia, POTS and MCAS. Being featured in an international science outlet reflects how far our community has come in making these connections visible and taken seriously.scientificamerican+1

Why this matters for our community

For many, the overlap between hypermobility, neurodivergence and mental health has been dismissed as “in your head” or treated as separate issues. Interoception research supports a more integrated view, validating that the body and brain form an inseparable system, especially in conditions where connective tissue, autonomic function and sensory processing differ from the neuromajority.

This emerging science underlines what lived experience has been saying for years: addressing physical symptoms, sensory needs and interoceptive differences together may offer better routes to wellbeing than focusing on one piece in isolation. It also opens the door to interoception-informed supports, from body-based therapies and pacing strategies to psychoeducation that helps people name and navigate their inner signals (9)

How SEDSConnective is responding

As a user-led charity, SEDSConnective is committed to ensuring that interoception research translates into practical support, co-designed with those who live these realities every day. Our work includes advocacy, education, peer support and collaboration with researchers exploring hypermobility, neurodivergence, pain and autonomic symptoms. (4)

We are actively championing approaches that recognise interoception as a bridge between mental and physical health, rather than a boundary that separates them. By bringing together lived experience, clinical insight and research, our aim is to improve recognition, access to appropriate care and quality of life for hypermobile, neurodivergent people.

If you think this is important here is what you can do...

We ask you to write to your MP about our charity and how these issues connect and why the community voices are so important for your health, your education, your work or life opportunities.
Want to understand more about interoception, hypermobility and neurodivergence? Visit our Research and Resources pages for accessible summaries and links to current studies. New website coming soon!
If you are symptomatic of hypermobility (formal diagnosis EDS HSD) and neurodivergent (or family, parent, carer or allied professional), you can join our community, attend events and connect with others who “get it”.sedsconnective
You can read the full Scientific American article by Diana Kwon on interoception and mental health here: “A Distorted Mind-Body Connection May Explain Common Mental Illnesses.