Structure and Function of the Human Insula

Abstract

The insular cortex, or “Island of Reil”, is hidden deep within the lateral sulcus of the brain. Subdivisions within the insula have been identified on the basis of cytoarchitectonics, sulcal landmarks, and connectivity. Depending on the parcellation technique employed, the insula can be divided into anywhere between 2 and 13 distinct subdivisions. The insula subserves a wide variety of functions in humans ranging from sensory and affective processing to high-level cognition. Here we provide a concise summary of known structural and functional features of the human insular cortex with a focus on lesion case studies and recent neuroimaging evidence for considerable functional heterogeneity of this brain region.

Common and Dissociable Contributions of Alexithymia and Autism to Domain-Specific Interoceptive Dysregulations: A Dimensional Neuroimaging Approach

“…Importantly, this dimensional approach could demonstrate for the first time that the impact of alexithymia on interoception-related insula processing varies as a function of physical versus affective pain empathy induction. The anterior insula is a functionally heterogenous region and interoceptive signaling within it not only underlies empathic responses but also inner affective experience and salience attribution to environmental stimuli [8], including emotional faces [9]. The present results indicate that higher levels of alexithymia may be associated with deficient attenuation of interoceptive signaling in response to physical pain signals, accompanied by under-responsivity towards socially transmitted pain signals.…”

Understanding white matter structural connectivity differences between cognitively impaired and nonimpaired active professional fighters

“…Our study also observed a spatial reorganization of the WM connections traversing through bilateral hippocampus and left cingulate gyrus in nonimpaired fighters to right precuneus, right insula, and left hippocampus in cognitively impaired fighters. All these differentiated rich‐club nodes within impaired fighters are thought to be responsible for cognition (Cavanna & Trimble, ; Rubin, Watson, Duff, & Cohen, ; Uddin, Nomi, Hébert‐Seropian, Ghaziri, & Boucher, ). Furthermore, we also found that the strength of the WM connections within the rich‐club nodes, and nonrich‐club nodes were weaker in impaired fighters.…”

Stereotactic thermocoagulation for insular epilepsy: Lessons from successes and failures

“…Insular location of RFTC was defined following the anatomical segmentation comprising the anterior part of the insula (anterior, middle, and posterior short gyri) and the posterior part (anterior and posterior long gyri), separated by the central insular sulcus. In addition, we used a functional classification based on connectivity studies identifying a dorsal anterior insula, a ventral anterior insula, and a midposterior insula …”

“…In addition, we used a functional classification based on connectivity studies identifying a dorsal anterior insula, a ventral anterior insula, and a midposterior insula. 27…”