The insula is responsible for which of the following functions related to emotion?

• A. Regulating voluntary motor movements
• B. Controlling visual perception and recognition
• C. Encoding long-term declarative memories
• D. Processing interoceptive awareness and subjective emotional experience

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the role of the insula in the brain. The insula is a region located deep within the cerebral cortex and is known to be involved in various functions related to emotion and bodily awareness.
2. Step 2: Review the options given and identify which functions are typically associated with other brain areas. For example, voluntary motor movements are primarily controlled by the motor cortex, visual perception by the occipital lobe, and long-term declarative memories by the hippocampus.
3. Step 3: Recognize that the insula is particularly important for processing interoceptive signals, which are internal bodily sensations such as heartbeat, hunger, and pain. This processing contributes to the subjective experience of emotions.
4. Step 4: Connect the concept of interoceptive awareness to emotional experience, understanding that the insula integrates bodily states with emotional feelings, making it central to how we perceive and feel emotions internally.
5. Step 5: Conclude that among the options, the insula's primary function related to emotion is processing interoceptive awareness and subjective emotional experience.