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Evidence for a large-scale brain system supporting allostasis and interoception in humans

Author

Listed:
  • Ian R. Kleckner

    (Northeastern University)

  • Jiahe Zhang

    (Northeastern University)

  • Alexandra Touroutoglou

    (Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 15 Parkman Street
    Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, 149 13th Street
    Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School)

  • Lorena Chanes

    (Northeastern University
    Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, 149 13th Street
    Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School)

  • Chenjie Xia

    (Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, 149 13th Street
    Frontotemporal Disorders Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School)

  • W. Kyle Simmons

    (Laureate Institute for Brain Research
    School of Community Medicine, The University of Tulsa, 4502 East 41st Street)

  • Karen S. Quigley

    (Northeastern University
    Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial VA Hospital, 200 Springs Road)

  • Bradford C. Dickerson

    (Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, 149 13th Street
    Frontotemporal Disorders Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School)

  • Lisa Feldman Barrett

    (Northeastern University
    Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, 149 13th Street
    Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School)

Abstract

Large-scale intrinsic brain systems have been identified for exteroceptive senses (such as sight, hearing and touch). We introduce an analogous system for representing sensations from within the body, called interoception, and demonstrate its relation to regulating peripheral systems in the body, called allostasis. Employing the recently introduced Embodied Predictive Interoception Coding (EPIC) model, we used tract-tracing studies of macaque monkeys, followed by two intrinsic functional magnetic resonance imaging samples (N = 280 and N = 270) to evaluate the existence of an intrinsic allostatic–interoceptive system in the human brain. Another sample (N = 41) allowed us to evaluate the convergent validity of the hypothesized allostatic–interoceptive system by showing that individuals with stronger connectivity between system hubs performed better on an implicit index of interoceptive ability related to autonomic fluctuations. Implications include insights for the brain’s functional architecture, dissolving the artificial boundary between mind and body, and unifying mental and physical illness.

Suggested Citation

  • Ian R. Kleckner & Jiahe Zhang & Alexandra Touroutoglou & Lorena Chanes & Chenjie Xia & W. Kyle Simmons & Karen S. Quigley & Bradford C. Dickerson & Lisa Feldman Barrett, 2017. "Evidence for a large-scale brain system supporting allostasis and interoception in humans," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 1(5), pages 1-14, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nathum:v:1:y:2017:i:5:d:10.1038_s41562-017-0069
    DOI: 10.1038/s41562-017-0069
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    Cited by:

    1. Colin W. Hoy & David R. Quiroga-Martinez & Eduardo Sandoval & David King-Stephens & Kenneth D. Laxer & Peter Weber & Jack J. Lin & Robert T. Knight, 2023. "Asymmetric coding of reward prediction errors in human insula and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-14, December.
    2. Anthony Newell, 2020. "Is your heart weighing down your prospects? Interoception, risk literacy and prospect theory," QuBE Working Papers 058, QUT Business School.

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