Anterior insular cortex and emotional awareness
Xiaosi Gu1, Patrick R Hof, Karl J Friston
1Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom, WC1N 3BG; Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Roanoke, Virginia, 24011.
The Journal of Comparative Neurology
|June 11, 2013
Summary
The human anterior insular cortex (AIC) is crucial for emotional awareness, the conscious experience of feelings. This brain region integrates internal bodily signals and external information to enable conscious emotional states.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Psychology
Background:
- Emotional awareness, the conscious experience of emotions, is fundamental to human cognition.
- The anterior insular cortex (AIC) has been implicated in emotional processing, but its specific role in awareness requires further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the neuroanatomical basis and functional evidence for the anterior insular cortex (AIC) in emotional awareness.
- To propose a model detailing the AIC's role in integrating interoceptive signals and predictions for conscious emotional experience.
Main Methods:
- Review of neuroanatomical features of the AIC.
- Meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies examining coactivation with the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC).
- Functional dissociation analysis between AIC and ACC.
Main Results:
- The AIC commonly coactivates with the ACC, but is functionally dissociable.
- The AIC integrates stimulus-driven and top-down information.
- Evidence suggests the AIC is necessary for emotional awareness.
Conclusions:
- The AIC plays a critical role in emotional awareness by integrating interoceptive signals with predictive information.
- A proposed model highlights the AIC's function in generating current awareness states and modulating autonomic reflexes.
Keywords:
anterior insular cortexbottom-upemotional awarenessempathyfMRImeta-analysispredictive codingtop-downMore Related Videos
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