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A Modified Mirror Test as a Visual Guide for the Self-awareness Trait in Wild Antarctica Penguins, Pygoscelis adeliae

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The sentient self.

A D Bud Craig¹

¹Atkinson Research Laboratory, Barrow Neurological Institute, 350 West Thomas Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85013, USA. bcraig@chw.edu

Brain Structure & Function

|June 1, 2010

Summary

This study shows how bodily feelings are represented in the brain, culminating in the anterior insulae (the sentient self). It explores the brain

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Affective Science
Neuroanatomy

Background:

The brain integrates bodily sensations to form emotional experiences.
The insula plays a crucial role in interoception and emotional awareness.

Purpose of the Study:

To present neuroanatomical evidence for the progression of affective feeling representation.
To discuss the organization of the insula in processing feelings.
To propose a model for subjectivity in awareness.

Main Methods:

Review of neuroanatomical evidence.
Discussion of somatotopy in the interoceptive cortex.
Analysis of insula organization (mid- and anterior-).

Main Results:

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Evidence for somatotopy in the primary interoceptive cortex.
The bilateral anterior insulae represent integrated affective feelings.
The mid- and anterior-insula exhibit distinct organizational principles.

Conclusions:

Affective feelings are progressively represented from the body to the anterior insulae.
The anterior insulae form the neural basis of the sentient self.
Further research is needed to address remaining questions regarding subjective awareness.