Aperiodic Exponent as an EEG Marker of Interoceptive Attention during Gastric Fullness

Aperiodic exponent in human EEG flattens after participants drink water until gastric fullness, consistently across individuals, linking cortical dynamics to self-perceived stomach state.

• Why it matters: Cortical processing of self-perceived gastric fullness is not well characterized in humans, limiting biomarkers for disorders involving abnormal interoceptive attention and feeding.
• What they did: Participants drank water to fullness while broadband EEG power spectral density was analyzed via the aperiodic exponent, alongside simultaneous stomach and heart measures of vagal drive.
• The result: EEG aperiodic exponent changes track shifts in the frequency of gastric oscillations and, together with autonomic measures, suggest a noninvasive biomarker for gastric interoceptive attention.

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