Cited by 641Functional Brain Connectivity StudiesPsychosomatic Disorders and Their TreatmentsHeart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control

Evidence for a large-scale brain system supporting allostasis and interoception in humans

Open access
Kleckner, Ian R., Zhang, Jiahe, Touroutoglou, Alexandra, Chanes, Lorena, Xia, Chenjie, Simmons, W. Kyle, Quigley, Karen S., Dickerson, Bradford C. +1 more·2017·Nature Human Behaviour

Published version of a preprint

Abstract

Large-scale intrinsic brain systems have been identified for exteroceptive senses (such as sight, hearing and touch). We introduce an analogous system for representing sensations from within the body, called interoception, and demonstrate its relation to regulating peripheral systems in the body, called allostasis. Employing the recently introduced Embodied Predictive Interoception Coding (EPIC) model, we used tract-tracing studies of macaque monkeys, followed by two intrinsic functional magnetic resonance imaging samples (N = 280 and N = 270) to evaluate the existence of an intrinsic allostatic–interoceptive system in the human brain. Another sample (N = 41) allowed us to evaluate the convergent validity of the hypothesized allostatic–interoceptive system by showing that individuals with stronger connectivity between system hubs performed better on an implicit index of interoceptive ability related to autonomic fluctuations. Implications include insights for the brain’s functional architecture, dissolving the artificial boundary between mind and body, and unifying mental and physical illness.

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Crossref · 10.1038/s41562-017-0069

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  • Different interoceptive channels share common regional neural substrates that likely permit integrative processing towards predictive representations that might ultimately direct adaptive behaviour.

    “Within the brain, different interoceptive channels share common regional neural substrates that likely permit integrative processing towards (predictive) representations that might ultimately direct adaptive behaviour [10].”

    From Interoception and emotion. (2017) · cites this paper as [10]

    The Anatomical evidence section describes interconnected regions exchanging interoceptive predictions, and the Discussion says interoceptive inputs and visceromotor control are integrated within one system. However, the paper does not establish that different interoceptive channels share regional substrates; the Discussion also says the system’s predictive-coding features remain to be tested. Pages are not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.82)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Each network is comprised of cortical and subcortical regions interconnected by hub regions, including the aMCC.

    “Each network is comprised of cortical and subcortical regions interconnected by the brain’s hub regions, including but not limited to regions important for motivation such as the anterior subregion of the mid-cingulate cortex (aMCC) (Kleckner et al., 2017).”

    From Motivation in the Service of Allostasis: The Role of Anterior Mid-Cingulate Cortex (2019) · cites this paper as Kleckner et al., 2017

    The Results section on cortical connectivity describes two networks connected through overlapping regions, and the Results section on subcortical connectivity links their cortical hubs to non-cortical regions. The Results section on validation identifies the aMCC as part of the connected allostatic/interoceptive system, but the passages do not establish that the aMCC is itself a connector hub or characterize it as important for motivation. No page numbers are provided in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.82)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Recent neuroscience research points to a large-scale system in the brain supporting allostasis, which connects predictions about energy requirements to systems that monitor and regulate the state of the body.

    “Recent neuroscience research points to a large-scale system in the brain supporting allostasis, which connects predictions about energy requirements to systems that monitor and regulate the state of the body (Kleckner et al., 2017).”

    From Motivation in the Service of Allostasis: The Role of Anterior Mid-Cingulate Cortex (2019) · cites this paper as Kleckner et al., 2017

  • The aMCC participates in systems associated with visceromotor functions (salience, allostatic-interoceptive) and executive function, attention, and motor control (frontoparietal control, ventral attention, cingulo-operculum control).

    “Evidence from brain connectivity studies show that the aMCC participates in systems associated with visceromotor functions such as the “salience” (Seeley et al., 2007; Touroutoglou et al., 2012) and “allostatic-interoceptive” networks (Kleckner et al., 2017) as well as networks associated with executive function, attention, and motor control such as “frontoparietal control” (Vincent et al., 2008),”

    From Motivation in the Service of Allostasis: The Role of Anterior Mid-Cingulate Cortex (2019) · cites this paper as Kleckner et al., 2017

  • This system includes two of the brain's major intrinsic networks involved in sensing, thinking, and feeling (salience and default mode network).

    “This system includes two of the brain’s major intrinsic networks involved in sensing, thinking, and feeling (known as the salience and default mode network) (see Figure 1; (Kleckner et al., 2017).”

    From Motivation in the Service of Allostasis: The Role of Anterior Mid-Cingulate Cortex (2019) · cites this paper as Kleckner et al., 2017

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Research works printed but not linked: 4

  1. [105]Fuster JM Cell Press 2000
  2. [176]Vogt BA Palomero-Gallagher N The human central nervous system Mai JK Paxinos G Ch. 25 943 987 Elsevier 2012
  3. [192]Zilles K Amunts K The human central nervous system Mai JK Paxinos G Ch. 23 836 895 Elsevier 2012
  4. [193]Petrides M Pandya DN The human central nervous system Mai JK Paxinos G Ch. 26 988 1011 Elsevier 2012

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Authors
Kleckner, I. R., Zhang, J., Touroutoglou, A., Chanes, L., Xia, C., Simmons, W. K., Quigley, K. S., Dickerson, B. C., & Feldman Barrett, L.
Affiliations
  • Northeastern University (US)
  • Harvard University (US)
  • Laureate Institute for Brain Research (US)
Corresponding author
Kleckner, Ian R.
Venue
Nature Human Behaviour
Published
2017-04-24
Volume
1
Issue
5
ISSN
2397-3374 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2949653992
Cited by
641
References
248
Citations by year
2026: 80 · 2025: 74 · 2024: 83 · 2023: 70 · 2022: 67 · 2021: 70 · 2020: 87 · 2019: 51 · 2018: 34 · 2017: 20 · 2016: 3
FWCI
30.15
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature Human Behaviour (publishedVersion)
  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH) (Harvard University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute on Aging (R01AG030311)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (F32MH096533, K01MH096175)
  • National Cancer Institute (R25CA102618, U01CA193632, UG1CA189961)
  • Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences (W5J9CQ-11-C-0046, W5J9CQ-12-C-0049)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
Keywords
allostasis, interoception, brain connectivity, convergent validity, mind-body problem, brain functional architecture

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