The Elicitation of Relaxation and Interoceptive Awareness Using Floatation Therapy in Individuals With High Anxiety Sensitivity

The Elicitation of Relaxation and Interoceptive Awareness Using Floatation Therapy in Individuals With High Anxiety Sensitivity

Floatation-REST (Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy), an intervention that attenuates exteroceptive sensory input to the nervous system, has recently been found to reduce state anxiety across a diverse clinical sample with high levels of anxiety sensitivity (AS). To further examine this anxio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biological psychiatry : cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging Vol. 3; no. 6; pp. 555 - 562
Main Authors: Feinstein, Justin S., Khalsa, Sahib S., Yeh, Hung, Al Zoubi, Obada, Arevian, Armen C., Wohlrab, Colleen, Pantino, Marie K., Cartmell, Laci J., Simmons, W. Kyle, Stein, Murray B., Paulus, Martin P.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-06-2018
Subjects:
Adult
Anti-Anxiety Agents
Anxiety
Anxiety - physiopathology
Anxiety Disorders - physiopathology
Attention - physiology
Awareness - physiology
Blood pressure
Emotions - physiology
Female
Floatation-REST
Floating
Humans
Interoception
Interoception - physiology
Male
Middle Aged
Mindfulness
Novel intervention
Relaxation response
Self Concept
Sensation - physiology
Young Adult
Relaxation response
Floatation-REST
Interoception
Anxiety
Blood pressure
Floating
Mindfulness
Novel intervention
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Summary:Floatation-REST (Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy), an intervention that attenuates exteroceptive sensory input to the nervous system, has recently been found to reduce state anxiety across a diverse clinical sample with high levels of anxiety sensitivity (AS). To further examine this anxiolytic effect, the present study investigated the affective and physiological changes induced by Floatation-REST and assessed whether individuals with high AS experienced any alterations in their awareness for interoceptive sensation while immersed in an environment lacking exteroceptive sensation. Using a within-subject crossover design, 31 participants with high AS were randomly assigned to undergo a 90-minute session of Floatation-REST or an exteroceptive comparison condition. Measures of self-reported affect and interoceptive awareness were collected before and after each session, and blood pressure was measured during each session. Relative to the comparison condition, Floatation-REST generated a significant anxiolytic effect characterized by reductions in state anxiety and muscle tension and increases in feelings of relaxation and serenity (p < .001 for all variables). Significant blood pressure reductions were evident throughout the float session and reached the lowest point during the diastole phase (average reduction >12 mm Hg). The float environment also significantly enhanced awareness and attention for cardiorespiratory sensations. Floatation-REST induced a state of relaxation and heightened interoceptive awareness in a clinical sample with high AS. The paradoxical nature of the anxiolytic effect in this sample is discussed in relation to Wolpe’s theory of reciprocal inhibition and the regulation of distress via sustained attention to present moment visceral sensations such as the breath.
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ISSN:2451-9022
2451-9030
DOI:10.1016/j.bpsc.2018.02.005