Insula and drug cravings
Abstract
This paper reviews the role of the insula in drug craving. Evidence is presented that drug craving may be a particular instance of the anterior insula's broader role in interoception and subjective feeling states similar, for example, to thirst and hunger. An important role for the insula in craving is supported by evidence of insular activity changing with satiety and with the top-down cognitive modulation of cravings. Cognitive processes involving the insula's role in awareness of one's own behaviour may also contribute to craving insofar as the avoidance of craving might require subjective awareness of the endogenous and exogenous cues that initiate it. Finally, some consideration is given to sex differences and developmental processes in craving.
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The insula is implicated in diverse functions relevant to adolescent decision making, including attention, sexual attraction or romance, language, social experiences, and motivation or reward.
“yet it is implicated in a markedly diverse range of functions that are relevant to current theories of adolescent decision making, such as attention [7], sexual attraction/romance [29], language [30], social experiences [31] and motivation/reward [8], among others [for review, see 32].”
From The role of the anterior insula in adolescent decision making (2014) · cites this paper as [7]
Activity in the anterior insular cortex is common in studies of cognitive control and inhibitory processing and in studies of reward sensitivity.
“Indeed, activity in the AIC is a common feature in studies of cognitive control and inhibitory processing [7, 46–50] and reward sensitivity [8, 9].”
From The role of the anterior insula in adolescent decision making (2014) · cites this paper as [7]
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- Authors
- Garavan, H.
- Affiliations
- Trinity College Dublin (IE)
- Corresponding author
- Garavan, Hugh
- ORCID
- Garavan, Hugh
- Venue
- Brain Structure and Function
- Published
- 2010-05-29
- Volume
- 214
- Issue
- 5-6
- Pages
- 593-601
- ISSN
- 1863-2653 (ISSN-L)
- 1863-2661
- OpenAlex
- W2123705561
- Cited by
- 181
- References
- 17
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 12
- FWCI
- 1.24
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Brain Structure and Function (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Keywords
- insula, drug craving, anterior insula, interoception, satiety, top-down cognitive control, self-awareness, sex differences, developmental processes
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Awareness, Cerebral Cortex, Cognition, Cues, Drive, Emotions, Humans, Motivation, Substance-Related Disorders
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