Projects
» Internal modulation and anticipation of emotional response by the insula cortex
Scientific Participants: Kai Klepzig, Katharina Holtz/Stender, Julia Wendt, Bettina v. Sarnowski, Alfons Hamm, Martin LotzeImaging studies contributed to the knowledge that the insula is part of interoceptive processing. These findings support models postulating that the integration of environmental signals, together with physiologic changes elicited by these signals, represent a central mechanism for the recognition and experience of emotions. Astonishingly, group studies supporting this theory are widely absent. Over the last years we identified a group of more than 30 patients with ischemic unilateral lesions of the insula, we intend to recruit more of these patients from our university hospital, and we will investigate the mentioned research questions on this patient population. We intend to use neuropsychological testing, psychophysiology and structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging. By combining the lesion model (specific deficits) and functional investigation (changes in functional representation and physiology) for the first time, we will be able to comprehensively describe the role of the insula in emotional processing.
References:
Klepzig K., Domin M., von Sarnowski B., Lischke A., Lotze M. (2024) Down-modulation of functional ventral striatum activation for emotional face stimuli in patients with insula damage. PlosOne, accepted.
M. Lotze (2024) NeuroImage; Emotional processing impairments in patients with insula lesions following stroke, Review.
Klepzig K., Domin M., Wendt J., von Sarnowski B., Lischke A., Hamm A.O., Lotze M. (2023) Structural integrity of the insula and emotional facial recognition performance following stroke. Brain Communications, in press.
Witt L.*, Klepzig K.*, von Sarnowski B., Horn U., Domin M., Hamm A., Lotze M. (*equal contribution) (2023) Modulation of bodily response to chill stimuli by impaired structural connectivity of the left insula- a functional and lesion quantification study in stroke patients, European Journal of Neurology, in press.
Klepzig K., Stender K., Lotze M., Hamm, A. (2022) Written in the Face? Facial Expressions during Pleasant and Unpleasant Chills. Psychology of Music
Klepzig K., Horn U. , König J., Holtz K., Wendt J. , Hamm A.O., Lotze M. (2019) Brain imaging of chill reactions to pleasant and unpleasant sounds, Behavioural Brain Research, 380: 112417.
Grunkina V.*, Holtz K*, Klepzig K., Neubert J., Horn U., Domin M., Hamm A., Lotze M. (2017) (*equal contribution) The anterior left insula as a monitor of bodily reaction and felt chill – a case-control functional imaging study. Frontiers in Neurosci,10:670.
Holtz K., Pané-Farré C.A., Wendt J., Lotze M., Hamm A.O. (2012) Brain activation during anticipation of interoceptive threat. Neuroimage, 61(4): 857-65.
Wattendorf E., Westermann B., Lotze M., Fiedler K, Celio M.R. (2015) Insular-cortex activity and the evocation of laughter. Journal of Comparative Neurology (in press.)
Kreutz, G., Lotze, M. (2007) Neuroscience of music and emotion in: Neurosciences in Music Pedagogy edited by Wilfried Gruhn and Frances Rauscher Nova Science Publishers, Inc. New York, USA
Project funded from 2014 - 2020 by the DFG
