The Role of the Insular Cortex in Pain

The transition from normal to chronic pain is believed to involve alterations in several brain areas that participate in the perception of pain. These plastic changes are then responsible for aberrant pain perception and comorbidities. The insular cortex is consistently found activated in pain studies of normal and chronic pain patients. Functional changes in the insula contribute to chronic pain; however, the complex mechanisms by which the insula is involved in pain perception under normal and pathological conditions are still not clear. In this review, an overview of the insular function is provided and findings on its role in pain from human studies are summarized. Recent progress on the role of the insula…

• EC
  European Commission

  Awards: NSRF 2014-2020, 2014-2020
• ER
  European Regional Development Fund

  Awards: MIS 5047236, 2014-2020, NSRF 2014-2020