Insular Lobe. Elodi Bodamer, September 27, 2015
Insular Lobe: a region of “cerebral cortex” in addition to the four lobes. Covered by a lip of “frontal lobe” and “parietal lobe.” (Blumenfeld, 25) Submerged within and forms the floor of the “lateral sulcus.” Completely circumscribed by the “circular sulcus.” Believed to be associated with taste. (Patestas, 75) It's located within the lateral sulcus between the temporal, frontal, and parietal lobes. Where “interoception” appears to be processed. (Campbell, BSP210)
Functionally, the insula has a remarkable pattern of anatomical connections with a large number of brain areas. It is the (only) brain region with well-documented connections to both mirror neurons and limbic areas. (Iacoboni, 117) Map-rich brain area in which “visceral” and “homeostatic” information is processed. Plays key roles in emotional awareness, "empathy," and physiological self-regulation. (Blakeslee, 213) A small island of neurons that translates bodily emotion into conscious awareness. It assesses bodily responses, such as degree of pain, and monitors what is going on in the viscera and muscles. (Kandel4, 181) The medial insula is activated during romantic love. (Goleman, 370) Crucial center of emotional cognition. Contains “mirror neurons.” Also necessary for attending to feelings that arise from your body. (Blakeslee, 181) Defective functioning of the insular cortex may account for why people with depression are without vitality, why they often feel dead inside. (Kandel4, 66) Also referred to as ‘insula,’ ‘insular cortex,’ and ‘island of Reil.’
Operculum: cortical covering over the insula. (Fisch, 286) Adjective - ‘opercular.’
Right Anterior Insula: region where self-awareness and social experience come together. Connects to the hypothalamus. Receives information from our senses about the physiological state of our body and, in response, generates emotions that inform our actions and decisions. (Kandel4, 65) Author’s note: critical node in the neural circuit of depression.
Right Frontal Insula: (Neural pathways in this area) involve empathy. (Discover, 2007) People with greater empathy have more gray matter in their right frontal insulas than those less empathetic. (Blakeslee, 181) Lights up when you feel emotions, "love," "disgust," empathy, etc. Also active when you feel physical "pain" or the pain of rejection. Active when someone is treating you unfairly. Active when you think something is funny. (Blakeslee, 188) Connects the state of your body to the brain’s sensory "perceptions," "abstract" thoughts, "linguistic" processing, and "motivations" occurring elsewhere in the (cerebral) cortex. Integrates “homeostatic” information from your body and your brain. Activates when your mirror neurons are activated by another person’s emotional state, when you sense fear in a crowd, when you crave drugs, and when you see someone cheat. Has strong connections with the amygdala, the orbitofrontal cortex, and the ACC. Always lights up together with the ACC on brain imaging studies of human emotion. (Blakeslee, 189-190)