Insular Cortex and Epilepsy
Chapter from the book:
Kılıç,
İ.
H.
(ed.)
2023.
Health Sciences Research: Basic Medicine- IV.
Synopsis
The functional importance of the Insula, a cortical area deep in the brain hemispheres that can be seen when the sulcus cerebri lateralis is opened, has been revealed by studies conducted over the last 30 years. Subsequently, the importance of this region in the pathophysiology of neurological and psychiatric diseases has become debatable for basic, internal and surgical sciences, thanks to its connections with the mesial temporal lobe, olfactory field, corpus amygdaloideum, entorhinal field, gyrus cinguli, hippocampus and other limbic system parts. In cases of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), the insular cortex may be affected along with the hippocampal and parahippocampal structures. There are studies in the literature on the role of hippocampal, parahippocampal structures and insular cortex in epilepsy. Thanks to its importance in limbic integration and visceral and autonomic functions, epileptic activity starting from the insular cortex or neuronal discharge starting in the nearby cortical area