Anterior insular cortex plays a critical role in interoceptive attention
Accumulating evidence indicates that the anterior insular cortex (AIC) mediates interoceptive attention which refers to attention towards physiological signals arising from the body. However, the necessity of the AIC in this process has not been demonstrated. Using a novel task that directs attentio...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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eLife Sciences Publications Ltd
2019-04-01
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| Series: | eLife |
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| Online Access: | https://elifesciences.org/articles/42265 |
| _version_ | 1811181524556447744 |
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| author | Xingchao Wang Qiong Wu Laura Egan Xiaosi Gu Pinan Liu Hong Gu Yihong Yang Jing Luo Yanhong Wu Zhixian Gao Jin Fan |
| author_facet | Xingchao Wang Qiong Wu Laura Egan Xiaosi Gu Pinan Liu Hong Gu Yihong Yang Jing Luo Yanhong Wu Zhixian Gao Jin Fan |
| author_sort | Xingchao Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Accumulating evidence indicates that the anterior insular cortex (AIC) mediates interoceptive attention which refers to attention towards physiological signals arising from the body. However, the necessity of the AIC in this process has not been demonstrated. Using a novel task that directs attention toward breathing rhythm, we assessed the involvement of the AIC in interoceptive attention in healthy participants using functional magnetic resonance imaging and examined the necessity of the AIC in interoceptive attention in patients with AIC lesions. Results showed that interoceptive attention was associated with increased AIC activation, as well as enhanced coupling between the AIC and somatosensory areas along with reduced coupling between the AIC and visual sensory areas. In addition, AIC activation was predictive of individual differences in interoceptive accuracy. Importantly, AIC lesion patients showed disrupted interoceptive discrimination accuracy and sensitivity. These results provide compelling evidence that the AIC plays a critical role in interoceptive attention. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T09:18:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-09f28f2cbdf64b2d96f38c0ec098587d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2050-084X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T09:18:51Z |
| publishDate | 2019-04-01 |
| publisher | eLife Sciences Publications Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | eLife |
| spelling | doaj.art-09f28f2cbdf64b2d96f38c0ec098587d2022-12-22T04:32:15ZengeLife Sciences Publications LtdeLife2050-084X2019-04-01810.7554/eLife.42265Anterior insular cortex plays a critical role in interoceptive attentionXingchao Wang0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1281-1973Qiong Wu1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2597-4322Laura Egan2Xiaosi Gu3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9373-987XPinan Liu4Hong Gu5Yihong Yang6Jing Luo7Yanhong Wu8Zhixian Gao9Jin Fan10https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9630-8330Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, ChinaBeijing Key Lab of Learning and Cognition, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China; School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, ChinaDepartment of Psychology, Queens College, The City University of New York, New York, United StatesDepartment of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United States; Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United States; The Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, The James J. Peter Veterans Affairs Medical Center, New York, United StatesDepartment of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, ChinaNeuroimaging Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, United StatesNeuroimaging Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, United StatesBeijing Key Lab of Learning and Cognition, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, ChinaSchool of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, ChinaDepartment of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, ChinaDepartment of Psychology, Queens College, The City University of New York, New York, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United States; Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United States; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United StatesAccumulating evidence indicates that the anterior insular cortex (AIC) mediates interoceptive attention which refers to attention towards physiological signals arising from the body. However, the necessity of the AIC in this process has not been demonstrated. Using a novel task that directs attention toward breathing rhythm, we assessed the involvement of the AIC in interoceptive attention in healthy participants using functional magnetic resonance imaging and examined the necessity of the AIC in interoceptive attention in patients with AIC lesions. Results showed that interoceptive attention was associated with increased AIC activation, as well as enhanced coupling between the AIC and somatosensory areas along with reduced coupling between the AIC and visual sensory areas. In addition, AIC activation was predictive of individual differences in interoceptive accuracy. Importantly, AIC lesion patients showed disrupted interoceptive discrimination accuracy and sensitivity. These results provide compelling evidence that the AIC plays a critical role in interoceptive attention.https://elifesciences.org/articles/42265anterior insular cortexinteroceptive attentionfMRIlesion patients |
| spellingShingle | Xingchao Wang Qiong Wu Laura Egan Xiaosi Gu Pinan Liu Hong Gu Yihong Yang Jing Luo Yanhong Wu Zhixian Gao Jin Fan Anterior insular cortex plays a critical role in interoceptive attention eLife anterior insular cortex interoceptive attention fMRI lesion patients |
| title | Anterior insular cortex plays a critical role in interoceptive attention |
| title_full | Anterior insular cortex plays a critical role in interoceptive attention |
| title_fullStr | Anterior insular cortex plays a critical role in interoceptive attention |
| title_full_unstemmed | Anterior insular cortex plays a critical role in interoceptive attention |
| title_short | Anterior insular cortex plays a critical role in interoceptive attention |
| title_sort | anterior insular cortex plays a critical role in interoceptive attention |
| topic | anterior insular cortex interoceptive attention fMRI lesion patients |
| url | https://elifesciences.org/articles/42265 |
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