Bodily sensations may be amplified by psychological stress or through the belief that one’s bodily sensations are symptoms of illness (cognition), expecting oneself or others to be ill (context), being anxious or depressed, for example (mood), or paying attention to the sensations (attention). Some individuals may “amplify all forms of distress.” According to a study, high SSAS scores are predicted by depression and disease phobia in patients with panic disorder and by bodily preoccupation and health habits in patients with hypochondriasis. SSA may be acquired in childhood following adverse experiences or it may be an innate trait. From an individual perspective, an unstable attachment style or early adverse experiences may enhance an infant’s threat-detection mechanism, this then becoming internalised despite losing its adaptive value. From an evolutionary perspective, SSA may help in assessing risk and taking the appropriate action in a demanding situation, suggesting that SSA might not be maladaptive.
Somatosensory amplification
Neural facilitation
Paraspinal inhibition
Neural adaptation
Sensory-motor coupling
Neuronal tuning
Multisensory integration
Counterstimulation