Impact of interoception and multisensory integration on functional and physical activities in aging

Aging affects the ability to process sensory input from the body (interoception) and integrate information from multiple sensory modalities. Interoception, which involves perceiving and interpreting internal bodily signals, undergoes significant changes with age, reducing the ability to recognize and respond to internal needs. Additionally, deficits in multisensory integration are known to predict declines in gait and stability, increasing the risk of falls and mobility issues in older adults. These changes impact physical health and hinder action planning and execution, yet the combined influence of interoception and multisensory integration on physical functioning remains underexplored. This study investigated how interoception and multisensory integration predict physical functioning in older adults compared to younger adults. Twenty-five young and twenty-eight older participants completed tasks assessing interoceptive dimensions (accuracy, sensibility, and awareness) and multisensory integration dimensions (temporal resolution and tactile acuity). Physical functioning was measured using the SF-36 questionnaire. In the older adult group, regression analyses revealed that interoceptive sensibility, interoceptive awareness, and multisensory temporal resolution significantly predicted physical functioning. Higher interoceptive sensibility and awareness were associated with better physical functioning, while reduced temporal resolution was linked to poorer functioning. These factors also predicted role limitations due to physical health: higher interoceptive awareness and sensibility were related to fewer limitations, whereas temporal resolution and tactile acuity were associated with greater limitations. These findings emphasize the critical role of interoceptive and multisensory processing in supporting physical functioning and managing perceived limitations in older adults, highlighting the importance of preserving these sensory capacities to maintain well-being in aging populations.