reviewNeuroscience & Biobehavioral ReviewsJun 11, 2022HYBRID OA

Anterior insula as a gatekeeper of executive control

Canadian Institutes of Health Research · University of California, Los Angeles · +1 more institution

PubMed
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Abstract

Executive control is a complex high-level cognitive function that relies on distributed brain circuitry. We propose that the anterior insular cortex plays an under-appreciated role in executive processes, acting as a gatekeeper to other brain regions and networks by virtue of primacy of action and effective connectivity. The flexible functional profile of the anterior insular subdivision renders it a key hub within the broader midcingulo-insular 'salience network', allowing it to orchestrate and drive activity of other major functional brain networks including the medial frontoparietal 'default mode network' and lateral frontoparietal 'central executive network'. The microanatomy and large-scale connectivity…

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296
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100%
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Authors

2

Topics & keywords

Keywords
  • Insular cortex
  • Default mode network
  • Salience (neuroscience)
  • Insula
  • Neuroscience
  • Psychology
  • Cognition
  • Executive functions
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