Loneliness and Interoceptive Accuracy in the Elderly Population

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction and Theoretical Background
• Loneliness in the Elderly Population
• Loneliness and Alexithymia
• Interoceptive Accuracy
• Interoceptive Accuracy and Alexithymia
• Limitations of Prior Research
• Aim of the study and hypothesis
• Methods
• Participants
• Measures
• Sociodemographic Information
• Loneliness
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Alexithymia
• Interoceptive Accuracy
• fMRI Data Acquisition
• Study procedure
• Data Analysis
• Behavioral and Statistical analysis
• fMRI analysis
• Results
• Behavioral results
• Descriptive Statistics
• Correlational Analysis
• Analysis of Variance
• Analysis of Frequency
• fMRI results
• Main effect of condition
• Interaction loneliness x condition
• Discussion
• References
• Appendix
• List of Figures
• List of Tables
• Abstract
• German Abstract

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This master's thesis explores the relationship between loneliness and interoceptive accuracy in the elderly population. The study aims to investigate the potential behavioral and neurophysiological evidence linking these two concepts. Specifically, the study explores how loneliness, a prevalent issue among older adults, might influence individuals' ability to perceive and interpret internal bodily sensations.

• Loneliness as a prevalent issue in the elderly population
• The concept of interoceptive accuracy and its potential role in emotional regulation
• Investigating the potential correlation between loneliness and interoceptive accuracy
• Exploring the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying this relationship using fMRI data
• Implications of the findings for understanding and addressing loneliness in the elderly

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The first chapter introduces the theoretical framework of the study, focusing on loneliness in the elderly population. It delves into the definition and prevalence of loneliness, discussing its potential causes and negative consequences. The chapter also explores the concept of alexithymia and its relationship to loneliness, highlighting how difficulties identifying and expressing emotions might contribute to feelings of social isolation. The second chapter presents the methodological approach of the study, outlining the recruitment process for participants and detailing the various measures used to assess loneliness, alexithymia, interoceptive accuracy, and other relevant factors. This chapter also describes the fMRI data acquisition and analysis techniques employed in the study. The third chapter presents the results of the study, examining both behavioral and neurophysiological data. It includes analyses of descriptive statistics, correlational relationships, and comparisons across different groups. The chapter concludes by highlighting the key findings regarding the relationship between loneliness and interoceptive accuracy.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The key concepts and themes of this master's thesis include loneliness, interoceptive accuracy, the elderly population, alexithymia, neurophysiology, fMRI, behavioral analysis, and social isolation. These terms represent the core focus of the study, which investigates the potential link between loneliness and individuals' ability to perceive internal bodily sensations, exploring both behavioral and neurophysiological evidence.