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Insular Lobe

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Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology

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Synonyms

Insula; Insular cortex; Island of reil

Definition

Often considered to be the fifth lobe of the brain, the insular lobe lies deep within the Silvian fissure where it is concealed by the frontal, parietal, and temporal lobes. While the function of the insular lobe is not fully understood, it receives nociceptive and visceral sensory input and has been implicated in a variety of processes, ranging from autonomic control, taste perception, and pain processing to subjective emotional experience. Functional neuroimaging studies have also linked the insular lobe to conscious desires, cravings, and addiction as well as a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, mood, panic, posttraumatic stress, and obsessive compulsive disorders.

Cross References

Autonomic Nervous System

Functional Imaging

Sylvian Fissure

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References and Readings

  • Augustine, J. R. (1996). Circuitry and functional aspects of the insular lobe in primates including humans. Brain Research Reviews, 22, 229–244.

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  • Nagai, M., Kishi, K., & Kato, S. (2007). Insular cortex and neuropsychiatric disorders: A review of recent literature. European Psychiatry, 22, 387–394.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Anatomy & Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Box 980709, Richmond, VA, USA

    Melissa J. McGinn

Authors
  1. Melissa J. McGinn
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Professor of Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry Virginia Commonwealth University – Medical Center Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, VCU, 980542, Richmond, Virginia, 23298-0542, USA

    Jeffrey S. Kreutzer

  2. Kessler Foundation Research Center, 1199 Pleasant Valley Way, West Orange, NJ, 07052, USA

    John DeLuca

  3. Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Neurology and Neuroscience, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey – New Jersey Medical School, New Jersey, USA

    John DeLuca

  4. Independent Practice, 564 M.O.B. East, 100 E. Lancaster Ave., Wynnewood, PA, 19096, USA

    Bruce Caplan

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© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

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McGinn, M.J. (2011). Insular Lobe. In: Kreutzer, J.S., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79948-3_325

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79948-3_325

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-387-79947-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-387-79948-3

  • eBook Packages: Behavioral Science

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