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Insular atrophy and diminished disgust reactivity
Alice Verstaen1, Janet A Eckart1, Luma Muhtadie1
1Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley.
Emotion (Washington, D.C.)
|May 6, 2016
Summary
Damage to the insula, a brain region, is linked to reduced disgust experience and physiological responses. Facial expressions of disgust remain unaffected by insular degeneration.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Emotion Research
Background:
- Disgust is a key emotion for avoiding contamination, involving visceral sensations and a distinct facial expression.
- The anterior insula is crucial for processing visceral information, suggesting its central role in disgust.
- Limited research exists on the impact of insular degeneration on disgust experience, physiology, and expression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between insular degeneration and disgust processing.
- To assess the effects of insular damage on the subjective experience, physiological reactivity, and facial expression of disgust.
Main Methods:
- Studied 84 patients with neurodegenerative diseases affecting the insula and 29 controls.
- Assessed emotional reactivity (disgust and sadness) via self-report, peripheral physiology, and facial behavior.
- Quantified regional brain volumes, including the insula, using structural MRI and FreeSurfer.
Main Results:
- Smaller insular volumes correlated with reduced self-reported disgust and physiological reactivity.
- Insular volume did not predict disgust-related facial behavior.
- Insular volume did not predict sadness reactivity; other brain regions (putamen, pallidum, caudate) did not predict disgust reactivity.
Conclusions:
- The insula plays a central role in the subjective experience and physiological aspects of disgust.
- Insular degeneration impacts disgust processing, particularly in its experiential and physiological dimensions.
- Facial expression of disgust appears independent of insular volume in neurodegenerative disease contexts.
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