The insula is an area of the brain as unknown as it is fundamental to understanding our behavior. There are those who say that this is where the core of our “Consciousness” is. For now, neurologists only say that this structure functions as the source of our emotions, the place of our empathy and the vault of our intuition.
Neuroscience is undoubtedly a fascinating discipline that never ceases to amaze us, a few years ago it was discovered, for example, that there are people who can quit smoking overnight easily and without having withdrawal syndrome The reason?When they did an MRI, they found that they had a small lesion in their brain insula.
“The brain is not a cup that can be filled, but a lamp that can be lit. -Pluto-
In addition, another evidence is that alexitimia is also linked to a problem in the same area of the brain, this marked difficulty in understanding the emotions of others, this inability to recognize one’s emotions or verbally express any kind of feeling is closely related to this particular region of our brain.
The insula is actually a magical source that moistens every structure of our brain with sensations and emotions so that we can react, both positively and negatively, because it gives us a sense of disgust, pride, desire, is this also what invites us to understand the behavior of others and even to respond emotionally to music?
The insula is a small region of the cerebral cortex located in the lateral groove, to reach it we would have to enter the large crack that separates the frontal and parietal lobes from the temporal lobe, if we had to read this article in the 1980s, all we could say is that the insula is a dark area of the brain , a structure with unknown functions on which hundreds of hypotheses have been built throughout history.
However, with the advent of the 1990s light came on, thanks to advances in analytical and diagnostic techniques, this theoretical darkness began to be ignored and surprising discoveries emerged. He noted that, in fact, the insula plays a very broad role in many of our daily activities.
So, and just out of curiosity, if we asked several scientists now what processes this field leads, they would give us an answer so rich that it would impress us: in pain, in love, in emotion, in will, in addictions, in the taste for music in decision-making, tasting and consciousness Incredible?It’s not?
In fact, all these processes could be summarized in one: the insula is the place of our social conscience.
Neuropsychologists say we should be very careful when assigning as important a role as raising awareness to any region of the brain, however, given the involvement of the insula in much of our social and emotional behavior, it is not difficult to think about this. hypothesis by the attractiveness of the term and the complexity of defining exactly what tasks, functions and processes this area performs.
A curious aspect that has been proven is that people who have suffered serious damage to the insula are a clear example of a human being completely disconnected from the environment and even of himself, we would talk about someone characterized by a deep apathy, someone who lacks empathy, cannot appreciate any aspect of life and cannot even feel “disgusted”; in other words, couldn’t the person, for example, distinguish between fresh and rotten foods?
Scientists claim that the insula is as if it were the confluence of our being, where everyone becomes aware of the body and mind; However, to better understand, one detail must be absolutely clear: no brain structure works in isolation. in the classic conversation of saying that this person uses the right hemisphere because he is very creative, in fact we are wrong because the brain is “a whole”, all areas of the brain are connected to each other and this organ works perfectly harmony through infinite circuits and wonderful connections.
The same goes for the insula. It is physiologically connected to our body, participates in the perception of smell, generates subjective sensations to arouse hunger, receives information from the receptors of the skin and our organs so that we can react when we are cold or hot or when we feel a burn. or tingling, and it’s also she who tells us things like “get out of this room because you need fresh air to empty yourself. “
On the other hand, it is important to point out another factor: animals also have this wonderful structure in their brain. Therefore, they also have this feeling of physical and emotional consciousness. So when a cat, dog, Tasmanian demon or lemur is hot, they look for a shadow. When they find food, they prefer fresh to rotten. When an animal encounters another animal, its intuition will tell you if it has good or bad intentions, whether it can be a prey or, on the contrary, whether it is someone with whom it can establish a certain bond.
At the same time, as neurobiologists, humans, big primates, whales and elephants tell us, they have much more complex and sophisticated insulas.
We know, for example, that the frontal insula is linked to our emotions, love and hatred, gratitude and resentment, shame and mistrust, empathy and contempt?That said, there is a point between the frontal area and the anterior cingulate cortex at which all the processes associated with addictions are concentrated.
“The energy of the mind is the essence of life. Aristotle?
For example, when a person quits smoking, certain stimuli increase cravings and withdrawal syndrome, some odors, social situations and scenarios intensify that anxiety that secretly regulates our brain insula, all of this is due to a very relevant aspect, the fact that the insula is closely related to the limbic system.
Numerous investigations show how this small structure helps to maintain addictive behavior, known as ‘Craving’ or the intense desire to consume.
In conclusion, as we have seen, the insula is able to lead us to the best of ourselves as a species (empathy and the value of positive emotions) and also to this more negative side, as is the establishment of certain processes of dependence. It is very likely that in the coming years new discoveries will be made about this small brain source that presents us with diverse and complex sensations that transform us into human beings.
So, and as a last curiosity, whenever we enjoy a song or a glass of wine, let us remember that it allows us to enjoy these pleasures: the insula.
References
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Varnavas, G. G. Et Grand, W. (1999). The insular cortex: morphological and vascular anatomical characteristics. Neurosurgery; 44: 127-38.
Tere, U. ; Yasargil, D. C. H. ; Al-Mefty, O. et Yasargil, M. G. (1999). Topographic anatomy of the island region. J Neurosurg; 90: 720-33.
Images courtesy of Vladimir Kush