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The insula is not specifically involved in disgust processing: an fMRI study.
A Schienle1, R Stark, B Walter
1Department of Clinical and Physiological Psychology, University of Giessen, Otto-Behaghel-Str. 10, 35394 Giessen, Germany. anne.schienle@psychol.uni-giessen.de
Neuroreport
|November 20, 2002
Summary
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies show the insula activates with disgust. This study found the insula also activates with fear, challenging its role as a specific disgust processor.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Previous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies indicate that facial disgust expressions specifically activate the insula.
- The precise role of the insula in processing various types of disgust stimuli remains an area of investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate insula involvement in processing visual stimuli of non-mimic disgust elicitors.
- To compare brain activation patterns for disgust, fear, and neutral visual stimuli.
Main Methods:
- fMRI scans were performed on twelve female subjects.
- Participants viewed alternating blocks of disgust-inducing, fear-inducing, and neutral pictures (40 each) for 1.5 seconds.
- Affective ratings of the visual stimuli were collected post-scanning.
Main Results:
- Disgust pictures, rated as highly repulsive, activated the insula, amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, and occipito-temporal cortex.
- The insula was also significantly involved during the processing of fear-inducing stimuli.
- Activation patterns did not exclusively link the insula to disgust processing.
Conclusions:
- The insula's involvement in processing fear stimuli challenges the notion of it being a disgust-specific processor.
- Brain responses to visual disgust elicitors involve a network including the insula, amygdala, and prefrontal/temporal cortices.
- Further research is needed to fully elucidate the insula's role in emotion processing.