HYPOTHESIS AND THEORY article
Front. Integr. Neurosci.
Somato-Psychic Pathway: A Universal Developmental Trajectory Linking Somatic Structural–Functional Integrity, Autonomic Regulation, and the Emergence of Mind
NeuroCentrum Clinic | SPAD Institute, Jesenice, Czechia
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Abstract
The Somato-Psychic Pathway (SPP) is proposed as a universal ontogenetic developmental trajectory through which somatic structural–functional integrity and autonomic regulation shape the emergence and stability of the mind under both physiological and pathological conditions. Integrating insights from developmental neuroscience, evolutionary biology, and clinical neurodevelopment, SPP conceptualizes mental functions as interpretive extensions of bodily and autonomic states rather than as their primary generators (Craig, 2002; Critchley & Harrison, 2013; Seth, 2013). The framework delineates a developmentally constrained directional sequence beginning with somatic organization, proceeding through proprioceptive and interoceptive accuracy, and culminating in autonomic regulation, emotional stability, and cognitive–social maturation (Proske & Gandevia, 2012; Júlio-Costa et al., 2023). Disruption of this trajectory—most prominently through axial dysfunction, distorted joint–muscle–fascial proprioception, persistent low-grade nociceptive drive, or direct mechanical influences on peripheral autonomic structures—is proposed to lead to Somato-Psychic Autonomic Dysregulation (SPAD), a state characterized by chronically reduced autonomic flexibility and heightened threat responsivity (Baliki & Apkarian, 2015; Porges, 2007). Prolonged operation of the pathway in this pathological mode gives rise to the clinical phenotype termed SomatoPsychic Syndrome (SPS). The SPP framework emerged from longitudinal clinical observation of disrupted and restituted developmental trajectories, providing a unique ontogenetic perspective on the directionality of neurodevelopmental regulation. By integrating the somatic, autonomic, emotional, and cognitive domains into a single regulatory continuum, SPP offers a biologically grounded model with implications for understanding childhood neurodevelopmental disorders and guiding future therapeutic strategies.
Summary
Keywords
Autonomic dysregulation, autonomic regulation, developmental psychopathology, Embodied Cognition, interoception, neurodevelopment, Somato-Psychic Pathway
Received
19 December 2025
Accepted
16 February 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Živný. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Boris Živný
Disclaimer
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.