Grant: Project Grant

The insula is one of the least understood brain areas. This is mostly due to its deep location, which makes it less accessible than other structures. Although its specific role remains poorly understood, it is thought to be involved in multiple sensory (auditory, somatosensory, gustatory, and olfactory), cognitive (attention, decision making, language), and emotional processes. Recent studies also suggest that the insula is involved in pathological conditions such as chronic pain, tinnitus and hyperacusis, anxiety, addiction, obesity, and autism. However, how it participates to these functions and disorders remains unclear. In the past decade, our team has gained international recognition for identifying the insula as a potential focus of epileptic seizures which can be cured by microsurgical resection. This procedure often necessitates direct recordings of brain activity with intracranial electrodes, which also offers the possibility to study the activity of the insula in response to various types of stimuli and tasks. Our access to a unique population with intracranial insular recordings and insular resection provides us with an unprecedented opportunity to study the functions of the insula in humans. The intent of our proposal is to provide a better understanding of the role of the human insula in sensory and emotional processing, using a combination of behavioral testing, intracranial recordings and neuroimaging techniques. This research has the potential to elucidate the mechanisms underlying prevalent and disabling chronic diseases associated with highly elevated costs for the health system, and may lead to avenues for treatment.