Lecture 5 - Insula Cortex and Interoception
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Questions and Answers

What is the primary function of interoception?

  • To monitor external environmental stimuli in real-time
  • To regulate emotional expressions through facial feedback
  • To perceive and interpret physiological conditions within the body (correct)
  • To facilitate communication between the brain and limbs

Which hypothesis suggests that emotions are linked to bodily reactions?

  • The James-Lange Theory (correct)
  • The Facial Feedback Hypothesis
  • The Somatic Marker Hypothesis
  • The Interoceptive Awareness Theory

What role do somatic markers play according to the Somatic Marker Hypothesis?

  • They act as signals to guide behavior based on emotional feelings in the body (correct)
  • They quantify emotional experiences without bodily involvement
  • They create a direct connection between sensory perception and memory
  • They enhance cognitive processing by eliminating emotional input

What is a common objective measure used to assess interoceptive accuracy?

<p>Heartbeat counting tasks (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does the baroreflex function in relation to interoception?

<p>It serves as a feedback loop for maintaining stable blood pressure (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What role does the vagus nerve play in gastric interoception?

<p>It conveys gastric cycle information to the brain. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN) is accurate based on the findings presented?

<p>They display reduced activation in the dorsal mid-insula during gastric sensation tasks. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the two primary ways to perceive heartbeat sensations according to the information provided?

<p>Baroreceptors and insula/ACC, or skin of the chest involving SI and SII. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does Alexithymia affect individuals with autism according to recent research?

<p>It may contribute to difficulties in identifying and understanding emotions. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is indicated by the term 'careful with reverse inference' in the context provided?

<p>One should avoid assuming a dysfunction in areas based solely on fMRI results. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is primarily responsible for the difference in insula activity between tasks in controls compared to other groups?

<p>Alexithymia (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In relation to empathy, how does activity in the anterior insula correlate with Alexithymia?

<p>Negatively correlated (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which group is reported to have a higher prevalence of Alexithymia?

<p>Individuals with autism (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What do the studies suggest about the role of Alexithymia in emotion recognition deficits generally associated with autism?

<p>It is the primary cause of the deficits (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What emotion-related aspect does Alexithymia specifically affect according to the content?

<p>Empathy for pain (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is not explicitly mentioned as a predictor of insular cortex activity during empathy for pain?

<p>Autism (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What methodology was used to test empathy for pain in participants?

<p>Painful electrical stimulation (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about emotion and identity categorization tasks is correct?

<p>Participants categorize either emotion or identity at the end of trials (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does Alexithymia influence the understanding of one's own emotions?

<p>It complicates the understanding of feelings (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of Alexithymia is highlighted in its relationship with empathy?

<p>Decreased interpretation of emotional cues (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Insula

A brain region involved in processing bodily sensations, including heartbeat, stomach contractions, and emotional states.

Alexithymia

A condition characterized by difficulty identifying and describing one's own emotions, often accompanied by reduced awareness of bodily sensations.

Interoception

The ability to sense and perceive internal bodily states, such as heart rate or stomach contractions.

Reverse Inference

A technique where researchers infer the function of a brain region based on its activation during a specific task.

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Body Awareness

The process of consciously attending to bodily sensations, including heart rate, breathing, and stomach contractions.

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What is interoception?

The perception of one's own bodily state, including sensations like pain, temperature, hunger, and internal organ activity.

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What is the James-Lange theory of emotion?

A theory suggesting that emotions arise from our perception of bodily changes triggered by a stimulus. For example, you feel fear because your heart races, not the other way around.

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What is the facial feedback hypothesis?

The idea that facial expressions can influence our emotional experience. Smiling might make you feel happier, while frowning might make you feel sad.

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What is the heartbeat counting task?

A measure of interoceptive accuracy involving counting your own heartbeats without external cues. It helps assess how aware you are of your internal bodily signals.

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What is the insula?

A brain region located deep within the cerebral cortex, involved in processing interoceptive information and contributing to emotional experience, self-awareness, and social cognition.

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Empathy

The ability to understand and share the feelings of others.

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Insula Cortex

The part of the brain involved in processing internal bodily sensations and emotions, important for understanding both our own feelings and those of others.

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Alexithymia and Insula Cortex

The activity of the insula cortex is reduced in people with alexithymia, suggesting a link between this brain region and emotional processing.

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Autism and Alexithymia

People with autism are more likely to have alexithymia than the general population, potentially contributing to some of the challenges they face in social interactions.

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Self-Awareness and Emotion Recognition

People skilled in understanding their own emotions are better at interpreting emotional cues in others, suggesting a link between self-awareness and social understanding.

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Empathy and Alexithymia

Empathy and Alexithymia are inversely related – those with strong empathy tend to have less alexithymia, and vice versa.

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Alexithymia and Empathy for Pain

Alexithymia, and not autism itself, plays a key role in determining insula activity during empathy for pain.

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Alexithymia and Autism: Emotion Recognition

Studies suggest that alexithymia may underlie some of the challenges people with autism face in recognizing emotions, illustrating how a specific difficulty can contribute to broader social interaction challenges.

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Alexithymia as a Potential Cause of Autism Features

The research suggests that alexithymia, a difficulty in understanding emotions, might be a key factor explaining various aspects of autism, including empathy, emotional recognition, and social interactions.

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Study Notes

Lecture 5 - Insula Cortex and Interoception

  • Interoception encompasses pain, temperature, touch, muscular and visceral sensations, vasomotor activity, and hunger
  • It's the perception of one's physiological state
  • Interoception refers to the representation of the internal states of an organism
  • It involves sensing, interpreting, integrating, and regulating signals from within the organism
  • This process provides a moment-by-moment mapping of the body's internal landscape
  • Interoception is crucial for reflexes, urges, feelings, drives, adaptive responses, cognitive and emotional experiences, homeostasis, body regulation and survival, emotional experience, self-regulation, decision-making and consciousness
  • Dysfunction of interoception is linked to anxiety disorders, mood disorders, eating disorders, addictive disorders, and somatic symptom disorders

Measures of Interoception

  • Heartbeat counting
  • Gastric interoception
  • Neural basis of interoception
  • The insula
  • Interoception and emotions
  • Alexithymia and social cognition (especially in autism)
  • Emotion recognition and empathy
  • Interoception and self-agency

What is Interoception?

  • The perception of one's physiological condition
  • Includes pain, temperature, touch, muscular, and visceral sensations; vasomotor activity (blood flow regulation); and hunger
  • Also includes processes by which the nervous system senses, interprets, and integrates signals originating within the body.

Why is Interoception Important?

  • Interoception signaling is a crucial component of reflexes, urges, feelings, drives, adaptive responses, cognitive, and emotional experiences
  • It's vital for maintaining homeostasis, body regulation, and survival, in addition to decision-making and consciousness
  • Dysfunction can contribute to various mental health conditions (anxiety disorders, mood disorders, eating disorders, addiction disorders, and somatic symptom disorders)

The James-Lange Theory of Emotion

  • Emotions are the result of our perception of bodily reactions to a stimulus
  • Interoceptive ability is relevant to such "peripheral" theories of emotion
  • The free expression of outward signs intensifies emotions, while repression softens emotions
  • The facial feedback hypothesis: Facial muscle activation sends feedback signals to the brain influencing our feelings and perception of others.

The Somatic Marker Hypothesis

  • Efficient decision-making requires emotion
  • Feelings in the body that are associated with emotions, such as the association of rapid heartbeat with anxiety or of nausea with disgust
  • Somatic markers act as signals to guide behaviour

Measuring Interoception

  • Self-report questionnaires (Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA))
  • Objective measures (heartbeat counting task, heartbeat tracking, heartbeat discrimination)

The Baroeflex

  • A homeostatic mechanism that maintains blood pressure at nearly constant levels
  • An elevated blood pressure leads to a decrease in heart rate

Interoception & Emotion in the Insula

  • The insula is buried inside the lateral sulcus
  • Brain regions like the limbic and cortical regions are also involved in the process of interoception

Insula Connections

  • The insula is connected to other areas of the brain, including autonomic centers, premotor, and prefrontal cortex, the cingulate, medial prefrontal cortex, amygdala and OCF

Global Emotional Moments

  • Global emotional moments occur when many salient moments take place rapidly, leading to subjective dilation of time.
  • Can be measured by the number of heartbeats experienced in a time span.

Interoceptive Accuracy & Awareness

  • Confidence in interoceptive accuracy is evaluated via objective tests and self-report measures

Measuring Interoceptive Accuracy

  • Heartbeat tracking tasks
  • Heartbeat discrimination tasks

Alexithymia

  • A subclinical inability to identify emotions in oneself
  • Often a co-morbidity in autism, with a higher prevalence compared to the general population.
  • Correlates with reduced insular cortex activity during emotional tasks

Empathy

  • The study found some evidence that activity in the anterior insula during emotion tasks was positively correlated with empathy, and negatively correlated with alexithymia
  • Also, empathy is correlated with alexithymia.

Other Relevant Findings

  • Interoceptive accuracy, body ownership, and emotion recognition are key concepts that are related to the anterior insula activity
  • Deficits in emotion recognition are related to Alexithymia, not autism.
  • Some types of brain cells are crucial for the functions mentioned above. The von Economo neurons
  • This could be related to the theory of mind of some animals (e.g. dolphins).

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Description

This quiz explores the concept of interoception, which encompasses the perception of internal physiological states. It covers the role of the insula cortex in sensing and interpreting bodily signals, as well as its implications for emotional and cognitive experiences. Understanding interoception is vital for recognizing its connection to various disorders and overall well-being.

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