The Journal of comparative neurology
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This paper reviews the foundation for a role of the human anterior insular cortex (AIC) in emotional awareness, defined as the conscious experience of emotions. We first introduce the neuroanatomical features of AIC and existing findings on emotional awareness. ⋯ We propose a model in which AIC serves two major functions: integrating bottom-up interoceptive signals with top-down predictions to generate a current awareness state and providing descending predictions to visceral systems that provide a point of reference for autonomic reflexes. We argue that AIC is critical and necessary for emotional awareness.
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Lesions of the rat nigrostriatal dopamine system by injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lead to abnormal neuronal activity in the basal ganglia (BG) motor loop similar to that found in Parkinson's disease (PD). In the BG motor loop the subthalamic nucleus (STN) represents an important structure, which, however, also comprises areas of the BG associative and limbic loops. We were interested whether neuronal activity would differ between the STN medial associative-limbic and lateral motor part, and whether selective 6-OHDA-induced lesions of the dorsolateral striatum, the entrance region of the BG motor loop, would differently affect these subregions. ⋯ In addition, in 6-OHDA-lesioned rats β-band oscillatory activity was enhanced, with no difference between STN subregions. We found important differences of neuronal activity between STN subregions, indicating functional segregation. However, selective 6-OHDA lesions of the dorsolateral striatum also had a pronounced effect on the medial STN subregion, indicating interaction between BG loops.