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How do you feel — now? The anterior insula and human awareness

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Check out this Knowledge Base article from StressTherapy Solutions: How do you feel — now? The anterior insula and human awareness.

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Study at a glance

Area
Other research
Study type
Review & meta-analysis
Authors
(Bud) Craig AD
Journal
Nature Reviews Neuroscience
Year
2009
Protocol
narrative review

Key findings

  • The anterior insula is implicated in states ranging from bowel distension and orgasm to cigarette craving and maternal love
  • Its re-representation of interoception may underlie subjective feelings
  • New evidence points to a role for the anterior insula and its von Economo neurons in awareness
  • Proposed as a potential neural correlate of consciousness

DOI 10.1038/nrn2555 → PubMed 19096369 →

A review of the anterior insular cortex, a brain region involved in a very wide range of states, from bodily sensations and cravings to maternal love, decision making and sudden insight. The author proposes that its role in re-representing interoception (the sense of the body's internal state) may explain its part in all subjective feelings. Citing new findings, including on the von Economo neurons it contains, the author argues the region should be considered a possible neural correlate of consciousness.