Altering body-representation through non-naturalistic sounds: study protocol for an experimental study in a subclinical eating disorders sample

Abstract Background Experimental research based on bodily illusions suggests that people with eating disorders (EDs) might have impairments in visual, interoceptive, proprioceptive, and tactile perception, potentially underpinning altered multisensory integration processes. Along this line, research indicates that people with EDs show abnormalities in integrating multisensory visuo-tactile signals, which might contribute to the development of body image disturbances in EDs. More recently, an altered integration of auditory signals related to body weight has been also shown for people with EDs. However, it remains unclear whether these impairments extend to any auditory signals, even if not related to body weight. To fill the gap, the present study will investigate whether participants with ED symptomatology and control participants differ in two auditory feedback tasks which will involve integration of auditory and proprioceptive cues using artificial non-naturalistic sounds. We will test two different body parts (i.e., fingers and waist) which have different levels of emotional saliency for people with EDs. Methods Recruitment will be through convenience sampling. The EDE-Q questionnaire will be administered as a screening tool to split the sample into participants with and without ED symptomatology. The strength of both illusions will be measured implicitly with estimations of body part position and size, and explicitly with self-report questionnaires. As a secondary aim, regression analysis will be carried out to test the predictive role of susceptibility for both illusions on ED symptomatology, interoceptive body awareness and sensory-processing sensitivity. Discussion Our study might contribute to our understanding of the aetiology of body image disturbances. The results may lay the ground for novel clinical interventions which aim to improve symptoms at the early stages of the illness.