Both of Us Disgusted in My Insula

Abstract

What neural mechanism underlies the capacity to understand the emotions of others? Does this mechanism involve brain areas normally involved in experiencing the same emotion? We performed an fMRI study in which participants inhaled odorants producing a strong feeling of disgust. The same participants observed video clips showing the emotional facial expression of disgust. Observing such faces and feeling disgust activated the same sites in the anterior insula and to a lesser extent in the anterior cingulate cortex. Thus, as observing hand actions activates the observer's motor representation of that action, observing an emotion activates the neural representation of that emotion. This finding provides a unifying mechanism for understanding the behaviors of others.

Autonomic and brain responses associated with empathy deficits in autism spectrum disorder

“…Our current finding of significant AIC activation related to empathetic pain is consistent with previous findings on empathy (Corradi-Dell'Acqua, et al, 2011; Gu, et al, 2012; Gu, et al, 2010; Singer, et al, 2009; Wicker, et al, 2003) and further suggests that the AIC encodes shared neural representations of subjective (interoceptive) states of self and others. However, it is important to note that abnormally high AIC activation, and accompanied enhanced autonomic signals, could interfere with one’s correct behavioral responses to others’ pain, as observed in the ASD group.…”

“…The anterior insular cortex (AIC) and its associated autonomic processing are considered to be crucial in supporting this embodied or interoceptive ‘theory of mind’ (Corradi-Dell'Acqua, et al, 2011; Craig, 2014; Gu, et al, 2012; Gu, et al, 2010; Singer, et al, 2009; Wicker, et al, 2003). The AIC is a critical cortical center in the interoceptive system which processes information from the body and exerts autonomic control (Craig, 2009; Craig, 2011; Critchley and Harrison, 2013; Gu, et al, 2013a).…”

The self-regulating brain and neurofeedback: Experimental science and clinical promise

“…For example, because both negative and positive emotions stimulate amygdala activation (e.g., Garavan, Pendergrass, Ross, Stein, & Risinger, 2001;Hamann, Ely, Hoffman, & Kilts, 2002;Yang et al, 2002), some experimenters take care to instruct participants to adopt positive mental strategies (Young et al, 2014;Zotev, Phillips, Young, Drevets, & Bodurka, 2013). Similar considerations surface concerning up-regulation of the anterior insula, which responds strongly to disgust (e.g., Phillips et al, 1997;Wicker et al, 2003), and to modifying ACC activity, which relates to a wide spectrum of cognitive processes (e.g., Bush, Luu, & Posner, 2000;Etkin, Egner, & Kalisch, 2011). The potential for maladaptive mental strategies may present less of a concern for protocols aiming to modify sensorimotor areas through imagined movements.…”

Do psychopathic patients use their DLPFC when making decisions in moral dilemmas?

“…11,12 Considering the variations of activity in the DLPFC and the insula and their connectivity to the areas of interest reported by Glenn et al might provide answers to these questions. 6 Increased DLPFC activity during moral decisionmaking in psychopathy Tassy et al 1 inquire as to whether psychopathy was associated with differential activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in our study of moral decision-making in psychopathy.…”