The insula, the source of our emotions and empathy

The insula is a brain region that is as unknown as it is crucial to understanding our behavior.. There are those who say that this is where the core of our “consciousness” is located. For now, neurologists only tell us that this structure functions more like the source of our emotions, the seat of our empathy and the chest of our intuition.

Neuroscience is undoubtedly a fascinating discipline that never ceases to surprise us. A few years ago it was discovered, for example, that there were people capable of quitting smoking overnight completely naturally and without experiencing any withdrawal syndrome. The reason? When they underwent an MRI it was discovered that they had a small lesion in the brain insula.

Likewise, another aspect that has been demonstrated is that Alexithymia is also related to a problem in this same region. That marked difficulty in empathizing with other people’s emotions, that inability to recognize one’s own or to verbally express any type of feeling is closely linked to this peculiar little corner.

The insula is indeed like a magical spring that moistens every structure of our brain with sensations and emotions. for us to react, both positively and negatively. Because it is she who gives us the feeling of disgust, of pride, of lust. It is also the one that invites us to understand the behavior of others and even to respond emotionally to music…

The insula, a multifunctional structure

The insula is a small region of the cerebral cortex located inside the lateral sulcus. To get to it we would have to enter the great fissure that separates the frontal lobes and parietal of the temporal lobe. Likewise, if we were reading this article in the 80s, the only thing we could report is that it is a dark area of ​​the brain, a structure with unknown functions on which hundreds of hypotheses have been built throughout history.

Now, when the 90s arrived, light came on. Thanks to advances in analysis and diagnosis techniques, this theoretical darkness began to be left behind and astonishing discoveries were made. As a result of multiple studies carried out with patients who suffered brain damage in this region, it could be seen that the insula, in reality, It plays a very extensive role in many of our daily activities.

Thus, and just as a curiosity, if we asked several scientists now what processes this area carries out, they would give us an answer so rich that it would leave us impressed: in pain, love, emotion, craving, addiction, enjoy music, in decision making, in wine tasting and in consciousness. Incredible… It is not like this?

The insula, the cornerstone of our consciousness

Neuropsychologists tell us that we must be very careful when attributing such a large function as the generation of consciousness to any region of the brain. However, given the involvement that the insula has in a large part of our social and emotional behavior, it is not difficult to derive this hypothesis due to the attractiveness of the term and how intricate it is to define with complete accuracy what tasks, what functions and what processes. performs this area.

Just out of curiosity, something that is demonstrated is that People who suffer severe damage to the insula are a clear example of a human being completely disconnected from their environment and even from themselves.. We would have someone characterized by profound apathy, someone lacking empathy, incapable of enjoying any aspect of life and incapable even of experiencing “disgust”; That is, I couldn’t tell the difference between fresh food and rotten food…

The insula offers us a perception of what we are

Scientists tell us that The insula is like that confluence of our being where one becomes aware of the body and mind. However, to understand it better we must be very clear about one detail: No brain structure works in isolation.. When we fall into the classic cliché of saying that a person uses the right hemisphere because they are very creative, we are actually wrong, because the brain is “a whole”, all brain areas are connected to each other and this organ works in perfect harmony at all times. through infinite circuits and wonderful connections.

The same goes for the insula. She It is physiologically connected to our body, it participates in the perception of smellit generates subjective feelings in us to make us hungry, it even receives information from the receptors in the skin and our organs so that we can react when we are cold or hot, when something stings or stings us, it also tells us things like “Get out of this room because you need air to clear your mind…”

On the other hand, it is important to point out something else: Animals also have this wonderful structure in their brains. Therefore, they also have that sense of physical and emotional awareness. Thus, when a cat, a dog, a Tasmanian devil or a Lemur is hot, it will seek shade. When he finds food, he will choose the fresh rather than the rotten one. When an animal is faced with another animal, its intuition will tell it if it has good or bad intentions, if it could be prey or if, on the contrary, it is someone with whom to initiate a certain bond.

The insula and our addictions

The insula also has different differentiated areas. It is known, for example, that The frontal insula is related to our emotions, with love and hate, gratitude and resentment, shame and distrust.empathy and contempt… Now, there is a point between the frontal area and the anterior cingulate cortex where all those processes associated with addictions are focused.

For example, when a person is quitting smoking, there are certain stimuli that increase the desire and the withdrawal syndrome. Certain smells, social situations and scenarios intensify the anxiety that secretly governs our brain insula. All of this is also due to something very relevant, which is the fact that the insula is intimately connected to the limbic system.

There are many investigations that show us how This small structure contributes to maintaining addictive behavior or what is known as the “craving” phenomenon or intense desire to consume.

To conclude, as we have seen the insula is capable of guiding us towards the best of ourselves as a species (empathy and the value of positive emotions) and also towards that more negative side such as establishing certain addiction processes. It is very possible that in the coming years new discoveries will be made about it, about this small cerebral spring that gives us multiple and very complex sensations that turn us into human beings.

Thus, and as a final curiosity, Every time we enjoy music or a glass of wine, let us also remember who allows us to enjoy such pleasures: the insula.

Bibliographic references

Duke, JE; Hernán, O. and Devia, A. (2004). The insular lobe. A visceral cortical processing lobe. Acta Neurol. Colom. Vol 20, 2.

Guenot, M.; Isnard, J. & Sindou, M. (2004) Surgical anatomy of the insula. Adv Tech Stand Neurosurg; 29:265-288.

Guyton, AC and Hall, JE (2008): Treatise on Medical Physiology (11th ed.). Madrid, Elsevier.

Kandel, E.R.; Schwartz, J.H.; Jessell, T. M. (2001). Principles of Neuroscience. Madrid: MacGraw Hill.

Varnavas, G. G. & Grand, W. (1999). The insular cortex: morphological and vascular anatomic characteristics. Neurosurgery; 44: 127-38.

Türe, U.; Yasargil, DCH; Al-Mefty, O. & Yasargil, M.G. (1999). Topographic anatomy of the insular region. J Neurosurg; 90: 720-33.

Images courtesy of Vladimir Kush

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