Functional organization of the human anterior insular cortex

Mutschler, Isabella; Wieckhorst, Birgit; Kowalevski, Sandra; Derix, Johanna; Wentlandt, J; Schulze‐Bonhage, Andreas; Ball, Tonio

doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2009.03.101

Cited by 223 publications

(212 citation statements)

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“…The present study should be considered a convenient example towards the realization of this strategy, and it is in line with concurrent efforts and suggestions forwarded by globally operating initiatives such as TINNET (http://tinnet.tinnitusresearch.net/). We were not surprised to notice a relationship between distress and insular morphology as this sub-sylvian area can be conceived as an interface between the auditory system [70,71] and the emotional brain circuitry [72] in the human brain. Along the same lines, Leaver and coworkers [34] observed a positive relationship between tinnitus distress and CT in the left anterior insula.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Differential tinnitus-related neuroplastic alterations of cortical thickness and surface area

et al. 2016

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Structural neuroimaging techniques have been used to identify cortical and subcortical regions constituting the neuroarchitecture of tinnitus. One recent investigation used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to analyze a sample of tinnitus patients (TI, n=257) [1]. A negative relationship between individual distress and cortical volume (CV) in bilateral auditory regions was observed. However, CV has meanwhile been identified as a neuroanatomical measurement that confounds genetically distinct neuroanatomical traits, namely cortical thickness (CT) and cortical surface area (CSA). We performed a re-analysis of the identical sample using the automated FreeSurfer surface-based morphometry (SBM) approach [2]. First, we replicated the negative correlation between tinnitus distress and bilateral supratemporal gray matter volume. Second, we observed a negative correlation for CSA in the left peri-auditory cortex and anterior insula. Furthermore, we noted a positive correlation between tinnitus duration and CT in the left peri-auditory cortex as well as a negative correlation in the subcallosal anterior cingulate, a region collated to the serotonergic circuit and germane to inhibitory functions. In short, the results elucidate differential neuroanatomical alterations of CSA and CT for the two independent tinnitus-related psychological traits distress and duration. Beyond this, the study provides further evidence for the distinction and specific susceptibility of CSA and CT within the context of neuroplasticity of the human brain. This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. A negative relationship between individual distress and cortical volume (CV) in bilateral auditory regions was observed. However, CV has meanwhile been identified as a neuroanatomical measurement that confounds genetically distinct neuroanatomical traits, namely cortical thickness (CT) and cortical surface area (CSA). We performed a re-analysis of the identical sample using the automated FreeSurfer surface-based morphometry (SBM) approach [2]. First, we replicated the negative correlation between tinnitus distress and bilateral supratemporal gray matter volume. Second, we observed a negative correlation for CSA in the left peri-auditory cortex and anterior insula. Furthermore, we noted a positive correlation between tinnitus duration and CT in the left peri-auditory cortex as well as a negative correlation in the subcallosal anterior cingulate, a region collated to the serotonergic circuit and germane to inhibitory functions. In short, the results elucidate differential neuroanatomical alterations of CSA and CT for the two independent...

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Differential tinnitus-related neuroplastic alterations of cortical thickness and surface area

et al. 2016

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“…Many of these experiments probably have in common a right FI response, such as that which has been specifically linked to sympathetic arousal as measured by the galvanic skin response (Critchley et al 2000). A meta-analysis of co-activation of amygdala and insula involving 955 responses in 86 papers reported co-activation between the amygdala and inferior anterior insula on both sides, but found it to be more pronounced on the right (Mutschler et al 2009). In a meta-analysis of 23 functional imaging studies conducted in children and in adolescents performing various executive functioning tasks, such as go versus nogo, which typically involve intense focus and self-control, Houdé et al (2010) found that in children the most consistent site of activation was in anterior insula on the left side, while in adolescents the most consistent site of activation was the inferior anterior insula corresponding to FI on the right side.…”

Section: Hemispheric Differencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The VEN-containing areas FI, which is located in inferior anterior insula, and LA, which is a component of anterior cingulate cortex, may be considered as a further elaboration of these homeostatic mechanisms, which, while retaining some aspects of their basic physiological functions, such as appetite regulation, have extended to the regulation of social interactions and the homeostasis of interpersonal relationships. The inferior anterior insula has been found to be consistently activated by peripheral autonomic changes in an exhaustive metaanalysis of the imaging data (Mutschler et al 2009). One such connection between autonomic arousal and decisionmaking is suggested by the findings of Critchley et al (2000) who found that anterior insula was activated when the subjects had increased galvanic skin responses.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The von Economo neurons in frontoinsular and anterior cingulate cortex in great apes and humans

et al. 2010

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The von Economo neurons (VENs) are large bipolar neurons located in frontoinsular (FI) and anterior cingulate cortex in great apes and humans, but not other primates. We performed stereological counts of the VENs in FI and LA (limbic anterior, a component of anterior cingulate cortex) in great apes and in humans. The VENs are more numerous in humans than in apes, although one gorilla approached the lower end of the human range. We also examined the ontological development of the VENs in FI and LA in humans. The VENs first appear in small numbers in the 36th week post-conception, are rare at birth, and increase in number during the first 8 months after birth. There are significantly more VENs in the right hemisphere than in the left in FI and LA in postnatal brains of apes and humans. This asymmetry in VEN numbers may be related to asymmetries in the autonomic nervous system. The activity of the inferior anterior insula, which contains FI, is related to physiological changes in the body, decisionmaking, error recognition, and awareness. The VENs appear to be projection neurons, although their targets are unknown. We made a preliminary study of the connections of FI cortex based on diffusion tensor imaging in the brain of a gorilla. The VEN-containing regions connect to the frontal pole as well as to other parts of frontal and insular cortex, the septum, and the amygdala. It is likely that the VENs in FI are projecting to some or all of these structures and relaying information related to autonomic control, decision-making, or awareness. The VENs selectively express the bombesin peptides neuromedin B (NMB) and gastrin releasing peptide (GRP) which are also expressed in another population of closely related neurons, the fork cells. NMB and GRP signal satiety. The genes for NMB and GRP are expressed selectively in small populations of neurons in the insular cortex in mice. These populations may be related to the VEN and fork cells and may be involved in the regulation of appetite. The loss of these cells may be related to the loss of satiety signaling in patients with frontotemporal dementia who have damage to FI. The VENs and fork cells may be morphological specializations of an ancient population of neurons involved in the control of appetite present in the insular cortex in all mammals. We found that the protein encoded by the gene DISC1 (disrupted in schizophrenia) is preferentially expressed by the VENs. DISC1 has undergone rapid evolutionary change in the line leading to humans, and since it suppresses dendritic branching it may be involved in the distinctive VEN morphology.

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“…In one of these, the over-activation of both areas was reported in patients with anxiety disorder [219], while in another study the ventral agranular frontoinsula was shown to co-activate with the amygdala in social-emotional paradigms [38,45,52,228].…”

Section: Insular Cortex and Amygdala Interactionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such studies include anatomical, electrophysiological, lesion, pharmacological and imaging studies, as well as operatory stimulation techniques which have yielded plausible roles for the IC in dozens of different functions. Several studies indicate that the IC is involved in taste processing [7,8,28,41], viscerosensory information processing [3,20,26,38,42,43], temperature and pain perception [44,45], olfaction [46] auditory processing [47][48][49], somatosensory perception [49,50], drug craving [51], motor tasks [52] and post-stroke motor-recovery functions [53].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%