How the heart speaks to the brain: neural activity during cardiorespiratory interoceptive stimulation.

ABSTRACT: Prominent theories emphasize key roles for the insular cortex in the central representation of interoceptive sensations, but how this brain region responds dynamically to changes in interoceptive state remains incompletely understood. Here, we systematically modulated cardiorespiratory sensations in humans using bolus infusions of isoproterenol, a rapidly acting peripheral beta-adrenergic agonist similar to adrenaline. To identify central neural processes underlying these parametrically modulated interoceptive states, we used pharmacological functional magnetic resonance imaging (phMRI) to simultaneously measure blood-oxygenation-level dependent (BOLD) and arterial spin labelling (ASL) signals in healthy participants. Isoproterenol infusions induced dose-dependent increases in heart rate a

SUBMITTER: Hassanpour MS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5062105 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature