The central and autonomic nervous systems can be defined by their anatomical, functional and neurochemical characteristics, but neither functions in isolation. For example, fundamental components of autonomically mediated homeostatic processes are afferent interoceptive signals reporting the internal state of the body and efferent signals acting on interoceptive feedback assimilated by the brain. Recent predictive coding (interoceptive inference) models formulate interoception in terms of embodied predictive processes that support emotion and selfhood. We propose interoception may serve as a way to investigate holistic nervous system function and dysfunction in disorders of brain, body and behaviour. We appeal to predictive coding and (active) interoceptive inference, to describe the homeostatic functions of the central and autonomic nervous systems. We do so by (i) reviewing the active inference formulation of interoceptive and autonomic function, (ii) survey clinical applications of this formulation and (iii) describe how it offers an integrative approach to human physiology; particularly, interactions between the central and peripheral nervous systems in health and disease.

中枢神经和自主神经系统可以通过其解剖结构，功能和神经化学特征来定义，但不能单独发挥作用。例如，自主调节的体内平衡过程的基本组成部分是传入的感受性信号，报告身体的内部状态，以及传入的信号作用于被大脑吸收的感受性反馈。最近的预测编码（感知感知推理）模型根据支持情感和自我的具体预测过程来制定感知感知。我们提出互感可以作为研究大脑，身体和行为异常的整体神经系统功能和功能障碍的一种方法。我们呼吁采用预测编码和（主动）感知推理，描述中枢神经和自主神经系统的稳态功能。为此，我们（i）审查了感知和自主功能的主动推理公式，（ii）调查了该公式的临床应用，并且（iii）描述了它如何为人类生理学提供综合方法；特别是在健康和疾病中，中枢神经系统和外周神经系统之间的相互作用。