Abstract:
Emerging research supports a role of the insula in human cognition. Here, we used intracranial EEG to investigate the spatiotemporal dynamics in the insula during a verbal working memory (vWM) task. We found robust effects for theta, beta, and high frequency activity (HFA) during probe presentation requiring a decision. Theta band activity showed differential involvement across left and right insulae while sequential HFA modulations were observed along the anteroposterior axis. HFA in anterior insula tracked decision making and subsequent HFA was observed in posterior insula after the behavioral response. Our results provide electrophysiological evidence of engagement of different insula subregions in both decision-making and response monitoring during vWM and expand our knowledge of the role of the insula in complex human behavior.
Authors:
Anaïs Llorens
Ludovic Bellier
Alejandro O. Blenkmann
Jugoslav Ivanovic
Pål G. Larsson
Jack J. Lin
Tor Endestad
Anne-Kristin Solbakk
Robert T. Knight
Date: 2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2023.107653