Insula

Insula (lobus insularis)

NervousOrgansHeadLeft and right

View left in 3D View right in 3D

What it is
A hidden lobe of cortex in the depth of the lateral fissure, normally covered by the frontal, parietal and temporal opercula; shown here as the floor of the opened fissure, carrying short and long insular gyri.
Function
Interoception (awareness of heartbeat, breathing and gut sensations), taste, disgust, pain and emotional awareness, and autonomic control.
Size
About 5-6 cm long and 3 cm high; in life buried 1.5-2 cm beneath the opercula
Clinical note
Branches of the middle cerebral artery run across its surface; damage to the insula has been reported to abolish the urge to smoke.

Nearby nervous structures Amygdala, Caudate nucleus, Cerebral white matter, Globus pallidus, Hippocampus, Lateral ventricle, Putamen, Temporal lobe, Thalamus, Trochlear nerve (CN IV)