Talk:Insular cortex

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The figure showing the mesencephalon does not belong here.

Fixed. --Arcadian 02:58, 15 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I am presently reading through my notes in neuroscience for medical school and have come across this piece of information. "bilateral lesion of the insula results in asymbolia for pain in which a patient can describe the painful stimuli but not be emotionally affected by it." I would look up a study, cite it, and add the info, but sadly i will not have the time. Thought i would put it out there for a good user to add. Best A 72.81.122.135 (talk) 03:19, 21 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I've added the bit about transcranial magnetic stimulation because reports say Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse wants to investigate that, and because I don't know of many other significant applications/tests of transcranial magnetic stimulation, but others may justifiably consider this too tangential.

I'm not very happy about the position of the reference after my edit, but don't quite know what adjustment to make either; therefore the parentheses - I don't want to imply that the authors of the research have suggested this.

Ndaniels 22:08, 26 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

There are several paragraphs devoted to a very marginal view which has no support in the literature. These should be removed (perhaps by the same naughty Iowan who put them there) or marked as being highly speculative. I've deleted things I judged to be plain wrong. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Waster (talk • contribs) 21:03, 30 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The article says "the structure and function of the right anterior insula are correlated with the ability to feel one's own heartbeat, or to empathize with the pain of others." Are there really people who can't feel their own heart beat??? If so, do they vote Republican...? Wnt (talk) 15:16, 24 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The present version [1] seems to cite an awful lot of individual functional neuroimaging studies. In my opinion such individual studies can rarely be used for general encyclopedic knowledge — functional neuroimaging is not that exact. Either one needs to support the statements with review acticles, or show that several articles support the same hypothesis, or downgrade the language, e.g., "one study show..." — fnielsen (talk) 12:16, 9 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I will add reviews where they exist. It should be noted that most individual studies contain extensive reviews as part of their introductions, and that citing reviews can be less useful for anyone seeking to check specific assertions since the research noted in reviews is often buried away amongst the discussion of many other findings. Citing review studies does support a finding if that review is only citing that study anyway. Moreover, if only one citation is made this does not entail that only one study exists since there is a need to limit the size of reference list. Citing reviews is an ideal: it should be noted that they usually undergo less strict peer review than most research studies and so not necessarily more reliable. --LittleHow (talk) 19:53, 9 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I found this in the article under Social Emotions: The anterior insular processes a person's sense of disgust both to smells[38] and to the sight of contamination and mutilation[39] -- even when just imagining the experience.[40] This associates with a mirror neuron like link between external and internal experience. The last sentence is wrong. Mirror neurons are neurons that respond when we observe or perform a given action, or observe or experience a given feeling. So I've deleted it. Anthony (talk) 05:35, 10 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]

You can mirror disgust (see it in others and then faintly feel it in yourself, while part of your insula is active). You can remember/imagine disgust (feel it faintly while part of your insula is active), or you can feel the real thing when you smell rotting meat (while part of the insula is active). The bit of the insula that evokes disgust is probably the same in each case, and if that is the point being made, then it does belong here, but should be supported by a peer-reviewed review. I'm on another mission right now. Anthony (talk) 15:47, 11 November 2009 (UTC)[reply]

It is useful to attempt to find exterior evidence of thought models to attempt to connect thought to neurology -- but it is highly hypothetical! I can tell you that spindle and mirror neurons are in a category of high-evolution, and hence higher thought. That is the connection. Where we go from here is speculation.--John Bessa (talk) 14:58, 30 August 2010 (UTC)[reply]

This page is referenced by the spindle neurons page for fronto-insular cortex, but there is no section for it. The context is Allman's research.--John Bessa (talk) 15:05, 30 August 2010 (UTC)[reply]

http://www.nih.gov/researchmatters/june2013/06242013depression.htm "In people with major depression, low resting brain activity in the front part of the insula [..] predicted a higher likelihood of success with psychotherapy and a poor response to escitalopram." - June 24, 2013 - Brain Scan May Predict Best Depression Treatment — Preceding unsigned comment added by 46.109.197.160 (talk) 15:24, 27 July 2014 (UTC)[reply]

I think it would be good to add info from this study to the article (the #Function section). It's currently featured in 2021 in science like so:

Scientists prove that the brain (the insular cortex of mammals) also "remembers" immune activity against past infections, with reactivation – or stimulation – of the neurons being able to cause – or shape – the inflammatory immune response.^[1][2]

Prototyperspective (talk) 18:43, 18 December 2021 (UTC)[reply]

This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 20 January 2023 and 15 May 2023. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Annann789 (article contribs).

— Assignment last updated by Annann789 (talk) 20:16, 6 April 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Section 1.1, first sentence: the use of the word "mellow" in the context of describing basic insula anatomy is unclear. PeacefulPlanet3 (talk) 18:54, 13 February 2026 (UTC)[reply]