Lecture 17: Pain and the Brain Flashcards
What is the point of the brain?
How we navigate a very dangerous world (environment) to survive
What is a basic overview of what is happening in the brain?
- The brain takes a snapshot of the environment
- This is received by 1º and 2º cortical regions
- They decide whether we should pay attention to the stimuli
- They activate the sympathetic nervous system and the frontal cortex determines a response
What parts of the brain determine if we should pay attention to a stimuli and if the stimuli matters?
The insula, cingulate and limbic system
What parts of the brain determines if we should pay attention or focus on a stimuli?
The insula and cingulate
What system determines emotional appraisal of a stimuli?
The limbic system
Generally what do the insula and cingulate do?
Determine if we should pay attention and focus on a stimuli
Generally what does the limbic system do?
Assigns emotional appraisal to a stimuli. Ask the question, does it matter?
Where is information from an environmental snapshot organized into an interpretable form?
Secondary cortical regions
What do secondary cortical regions do?
Organizes information from an environmental snapshot into an organized interpretable form
Where is the insula located?
On the lateral surface of the frontal lobe
What sits on the lateral surface of the frontal lobe?
The insula
What is the formal definition of the insula?
The Insula inter-relates our understanding and perception of self with our perception of the environment
What part of the brain inter-relates our understanding and perception of self with our perception of the environment?
The Insula
What is the casual definition of the insula?
The insula is involved in determining or understanding how we fit into the world around us
What are the three parts of the inusla?
- Posterior
- Middle
- Anterior
What the function of the posterior insula?
Identification/perception of stimulus (do we feel something)
What part of the insula is responsible for identification/perception of stimulus?
The posterior insula
In what situation would the posterior insula be activated?
Someone touches your hand and you feel something touching your hand
What is the function of the middle insula?
Ownership/relation of stimulus (is that related to us?)
What part of the insula is responsible for ownership/relation of a stimulus?
The middle insula
In what situation would the middle insula be activated?
If you touch your own hand, if you see yourself in the mirror, etc
What is the function of the Anterior Insula?
Redirecting attention or conscious awareness - filters out stimuli to see which ones we should be paying attention to
Which part of the insula redirects attention or conscious awareness - filters out stimuli to see which ones we should be paying attention to?
The anterior insula
In what direction does the insula work?
Anteriorly to posteriorly
What are some characteristics of the insula?
Somatotopic organization
Sided-asymmetry
Ipsilateral-contralateral activation
What is meant by somatotopic organization of the insula?
Certain parts of the insula will activate in connection with certain parts of the body wall
What is meant by sided-asymmetry, ipsilateral-contralateral activation of the insula?
The right hand will activate the left insula and the left hand will be represented on the right side