The ability to detect heartbeat sensations is the most common basis for inferring individual differences in sensitivity to the interoceptive stimuli generated by the visceral activity. While the sensory sources of heartbeat sensations have yet to be identified, there is a growing consensus that visceral sensation, in general, is supported not only by the interoceptive system but also by the somatosensory system, and even by exteroception. The current experiment sought evidence on this issue by exploring the effects of masking the functions of somatosensory Pacinian and non-Pacinian mechanoreceptors on the ability to detect heartbeat sensations. Twelve verified heartbeat detectors completed a multi-session experiment in which they judged heartbeat-tone and light-tone simultaneity under two vibrotactile masking conditions involving the stimulation of the sternum: (a) using 250 Hz vibrotactile stimuli to mask the Pacinian channel, and (b) using 6 Hz vibrotactile stimuli to mask the non-Pacinian channel. A no-vibration control condition in which no masking stimuli were presented was also implemented. Presentation of both the 250 Hz and the 6 Hz masking stimuli impaired the ability to judge the simultaneity of heartbeats and tones but did not influence the ability to judge the simultaneity of stimuli presented to different exteroceptive modalities (lights and tones). Our findings reinforce the view that the somatosensory system is involved in cardioception and support the conclusion that both Pacinian and non-Pacinian somatosensory mechanoreceptors are implicated in heartbeat detection.

中文翻译：

---

振动触觉掩蔽对心跳检测的影响：体感机械感受器转导心跳感觉的证据

检测心跳感觉的能力是推断个体对内脏活动产生的内感受刺激敏感性差异的最常见基础。虽然心跳感觉的感觉来源尚未确定，但越来越多的共识是，一般而言，内脏感觉不仅受到内感受系统的支持，而且还受到体感系统的支持，甚至还受到外感受的支持。目前的实验通过探索掩盖体感 Pacinian 和非 Pacinian 机械感受器的功能对检测心跳感觉的能力的影响来寻找关于这个问题的证据。十二个经过验证的心跳检测器完成了一个多会话实验，他们在涉及胸骨刺激的两种振动触觉掩蔽条件下判断心跳音和光音同时性：（a）使用 250 Hz 振动触觉刺激来掩蔽 Pacinian 通道，以及（ b) 使用 6 Hz 振动触觉刺激来掩盖非 Pacinian 通道。还实施了不存在掩蔽刺激的无振动控制条件。250 Hz 和 6 Hz 掩蔽刺激的呈现损害了判断心跳和音调同时性的能力，但不影响判断呈现给不同外部感受方式（灯光和音调）的刺激同时性的能力。