scholarly journals Interoceptive insular cortex participates in sensory processing of gastrointestinal malaise and associated behaviors

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcelo Aguilar-Rivera ◽  
Sanggyun Kim ◽  
Todd P. Coleman ◽  
Pedro E. Maldonado ◽  
Fernando Torrealba
Keyword(s):  
Critical Role ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Insular Cortex ◽  
Electrical Microstimulation ◽  
Compensatory Behaviors ◽  
Low Frequency Oscillations ◽  
Complex Organization ◽  
Sensory Modalities ◽  
Posterior Insula ◽  
Insula Cortex

AbstractThe insular cortex plays a central role in the perception and regulation of bodily needs and emotions. Its modular arrangement, corresponding with different sensory modalities, denotes a complex organization, and reveals it to be a hub that is able to coordinate autonomic and behavioral responses to many types of stimuli. Yet, little is known about the dynamics of its electrical activity at the neuronal level. We recorded single neurons in behaving rats from the posterior insula cortex (pIC), a subdivision considered as a primary interoceptive cortex, during gastrointestinal (GI) malaise, a state akin to the emotion of disgust in humans. We found that a large proportion of pIC neurons were modulated during the rodent compensatory behaviors of lying on belly (LOB) and Pica. Furthermore, we demonstrated that LOB was correlated with low-frequency oscillations in the field potentials and spikes at the theta (8 Hz) band, and that low-frequency electrical microstimulation of pIC elicited LOB and Pica. These findings demonstrate that pIC neurons play a critical role in GI malaise perception, and that the pIC influences the expression of behaviors that alleviate GI malaise. Our model provides an accessible approach at the single cell level to study innate emotional behaviors, currently elusive in humans.

scholarly journals Role of anterior insula cortex in context-induced relapse of nicotine-seeking

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hussein Ghareh ◽  
Isis Alonso-Lozares ◽  
Dustin Schetters ◽  
Rae J Herman ◽  
Tim S Heistek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Basolateral Amygdala ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Insular Cortex ◽  
Female Rats ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Self Administration ◽  
Retrograde Labelling ◽  
Male And Female Rats ◽  
Insula Cortex ◽  
Increased Activity

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death worldwide, and relapse during abstinence remains the key barrier to successful treatment of tobacco addiction. During abstinence, environmental contexts associated with nicotine use can induce craving and contribute to relapse. The insular cortex (IC) is thought to be a critical substrate of nicotine addiction and relapse. However, its specific role in context-induced relapse of nicotine-seeking is not fully known. In this study, we report a novel rodent model of context-induced relapse to nicotine-seeking after punishment-imposed abstinence, which models self-imposed abstinence through increasing negative consequences of excessive drug use. Using the neuronal activity marker Fos we find that the anterior (aIC), but not the middle or posterior IC, shows increased activity during context-induced relapse. Combining Fos with retrograde labelling of aIC inputs, we show projections to aIC from contralateral aIC and basolateral amygdala exhibit increased activity during context-induced relapse. Next, we used fiber photometry in aIC and observed phasic increases in aIC activity around nicotine-seeking responses during self-administration, punishment, and the context-induced relapse tests. Next, we used chemogenetic inhibition in both male and female rats to determine whether activity in aIC is necessary for context-induced relapse. We found that chemogenetic inhibition of aIC decreased context-induced nicotine-seeking after either punishment- or extinction-imposed abstinence. These findings highlight the critical role nicotine-associated contexts play in promoting relapse, and they show that aIC activity is critical for this context-induced relapse following both punishment and extinction imposed abstinence.

scholarly journals Low-frequency oscillations in cortical level to help diagnose task-specific dystonia

2021 ◽  
pp. 105444
Author(s):  
Chun-Chuan Chen ◽  
Antonella Macerollo ◽  
Hoon-Ming Heng ◽  
Ming-Kuei Lu ◽  
Chon-Haw Tsai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Frequency ◽  
Cortical Level ◽  
Low Frequency Oscillations

scholarly journals Deep Brain Stimulation of the Posterior Insula in Chronic Pain: A Theoretical Framework

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 639
Author(s):  
David Bergeron ◽  
Sami Obaid ◽  
Marie-Pierre Fournier-Gosselin ◽  
Alain Bouthillier ◽  
Dang Khoa Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Deep Brain Stimulation ◽  
Brain Stimulation ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Brain Lesion ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Posterior Insula ◽  
Deep Brain ◽  
Stimulation Of

Introduction: To date, clinical trials of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for refractory chronic pain have yielded unsatisfying results. Recent evidence suggests that the posterior insula may represent a promising DBS target for this indication. Methods: We present a narrative review highlighting the theoretical basis of posterior insula DBS in patients with chronic pain. Results: Neuroanatomical studies identified the posterior insula as an important cortical relay center for pain and interoception. Intracranial neuronal recordings showed that the earliest response to painful laser stimulation occurs in the posterior insula. The posterior insula is one of the only regions in the brain whose low-frequency electrical stimulation can elicit painful sensations. Most chronic pain syndromes, such as fibromyalgia, had abnormal functional connectivity of the posterior insula on functional imaging. Finally, preliminary results indicated that high-frequency electrical stimulation of the posterior insula can acutely increase pain thresholds. Conclusion: In light of the converging evidence from neuroanatomical, brain lesion, neuroimaging, and intracranial recording and stimulation as well as non-invasive stimulation studies, it appears that the insula is a critical hub for central integration and processing of painful stimuli, whose high-frequency electrical stimulation has the potential to relieve patients from the sensory and affective burden of chronic pain.

scholarly journals Clinical presentation of strokes confined to the insula: a systematic review of literature

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincenzo Di Stefano ◽  
Maria Vittoria De Angelis ◽  
Chiara Montemitro ◽  
Mirella Russo ◽  
Claudia Carrarini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Clinical Presentation ◽  
Insular Cortex ◽  
Affective Processing ◽  
Appropriate Treatment ◽  
Insula Cortex ◽  
Atypical Presentations ◽  
High Level ◽  
To Receive ◽  
Insular Region

Abstract Background and purpose The insular cortex serves a wide variety of functions in humans, ranging from sensory and affective processing to high-level cognition. Hence, insular dysfunction may result in several different presentations. Ischemic strokes limited to the insular territory are rare and deserve a better characterization, to be quickly recognized and to receive the appropriate treatment (e.g. thrombolysis). Methods We reviewed studies on patients with a first-ever acute stroke restricted to the insula. We searched in the Medline database the keywords “insular stroke” and “insular infarction”, to identify previously published cases. Afterwards, the results were divided depending on the specific insular region affected by the stroke: anterior insular cortex (AIC), posterior insular cortex (PIC) or total insula cortex (TIC). Finally, a review of the clinical correlates associated with each region was performed. Results We identified 25 reports including a total of 49 patients (59.7 ± 15.5 years, 48% male) from systematic review of the literature. The most common clinical phenotypes were motor and somatosensory deficits, dysarthria, aphasia and a vestibular-like syndrome. Atypical presentations were also common and included dysphagia, awareness deficits, gustatory disturbances, dysautonomia, neuropsychiatric or auditory disturbances and headache. Conclusions The clinical presentation of insular strokes is heterogeneous; however, an insular stroke should be suspected when vestibular-like, somatosensory, speech or language disturbances are combined in the same patient. Further studies are needed to improve our understanding of more atypical presentations.

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