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Updated: May 22, 2026
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Brain Imaging Investigation of the Impairing Effect of Emotion on Cognition
Published on: February 1, 2012
Overlapping activity in anterior insula during interoception and emotional experience
Jamil Zaki1, Joshua Ian Davis, Kevin N Ochsner
1Department of Psychology, Harvard University Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. zaki@wjh.harvard.edu
Neuroimage
|May 17, 2012
Summary
Awareness of bodily sensations (interoception) is crucial for emotional experience. This study found that the brain regions active during interoception, particularly the anterior insula, are also engaged during emotional responses, linking bodily awareness and emotion.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Classic emotion theories link bodily awareness (interoception) to emotional experience.
- Prior studies show overlapping brain activity in the anterior insula for interoception and emotion.
- Direct comparison of neural activity for these phenomena within individuals was lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To directly investigate the neural convergence of interoception and emotional experience within the same participants.
- To clarify the functional role of the anterior insula in connecting bodily awareness and emotion.
Main Methods:
- Participants performed two tasks: heartbeat monitoring (interoception) and watching emotional videos with self-rated emotional responses.
- Neuroimaging techniques were used to examine brain activity patterns.
- Both group-level and individual-level analyses were conducted to localize brain regions.
Main Results:
- Heartbeat monitoring activated a specific region in the insular cortex and inferior frontal operculum.
- This interoception-related brain area was also engaged during emotional experience and self-rating.
- Activity in this region correlated with the intensity of participants' emotional responses.
Conclusions:
- The anterior insula plays a critical role in both interoception and emotional experience.
- These findings provide direct evidence for shared neural architecture underlying bodily awareness and emotion.
- The study offers novel insights into the neurobiological basis of emotion.
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