Cited by 280Primate Behavior and EcologyNeural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesFace Recognition and Perception

The von Economo neurons in the frontoinsular and anterior cingulate cortex

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Allman, John M., Tetreault, Nicole A., Hakeem, Atiya Y., Manaye, Kebreten F., Semendeferi, Katerina, Erwin, Joseph M., Park, Soyoung, Goubert, Virginie +1 more·2011·Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

Abstract

The von Economo neurons (VENs) are large bipolar neurons located in the frontoinsular cortex (FI) and limbic anterior (LA) area in great apes and humans but not in other primates. Our stereological counts of VENs in FI and LA show them to be more numerous in humans than in apes. In humans, small numbers of VENs appear the 36th week postconception, with numbers increasing during the first 8 months after birth. There are significantly more VENs in the right hemisphere in postnatal brains; this may be related to asymmetries in the autonomic nervous system. VENs are also present in elephants and whales and may be a specialization related to very large brain size. The large size and simple dendritic structure of these projection neurons suggest that they rapidly send basic information from FI and LA to other parts of the brain, while slower neighboring pyramids send more detailed information. Selective destruction of VENs in early stages of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) implies that they are involved in empathy, social awareness, and self‐control, consistent with evidence from functional imaging.

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Crossref · 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2011.06011.x

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  • Human von Economo neurons express proteins linked to schizophrenia (notably DISC-1), and VEN density in the anterior cingulate has been linked to illness duration and completed suicide in psychotic patients.

    “Human VENs express proteins linked to schizophrenia (notably DISC-1) and VEN density (in the anterior cingulate) has been linked to illness duration and completed suicide in psychotic patients [84].”

    From Interoceptive inference, emotion, and the embodied self (2013) · cites this paper as [84]

    The ‘VENs in neuropsychiatric disorders’ section reports fewer right-hemisphere anterior cingulate VENs in early-onset schizophrenia than in later-onset schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or controls. It does not report DISC-1 expression or link VEN density to illness duration or completed suicide; searches for DISC1 and suicide found no such passages. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. [26]Williamson PC Allman JM 2010 The Human Illnesses: Neuropsyciatric Disorders and the Nature of the Human Brain New York Oxford University Press
  2. [45]van Kooten 2008 Autism counts Dissertation Maastricht University

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Authors
Allman, J. M., Tetreault, N. A., Hakeem, A. Y., Manaye, K. F., Semendeferi, K., Erwin, J. M., Park, S., Goubert, V., & Hof, P. R.
Affiliations
California Institute of Technology (US)
Corresponding author
Allman, John M.
Venue
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2011-04
Volume
1225
Issue
1
Pages
59-71
ISSN
  • 0077-8923 (ISSN-L)
  • 1749-6632
OpenAlex
W2164876229
Cited by
280
References
79
Citations by year
2026: 18 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 42 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 42 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 21 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 18 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 13 · 2013: 15 · 2012: 12
FWCI
1.72
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • CaltechAUTHORS (California Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute on Aging (R44AG014308)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH089406)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Primate Behavior and Ecology
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Face Recognition and Perception
Keywords
von Economo neurons, frontoinsular cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, human evolution, great apes, postnatal development, hemispheric lateralization, autonomic nervous system, brain size, elephants, whales, frontotemporal dementia, empathy, social awareness, self-control
MeSH terms
Animals, Cell Count, Biological Evolution, Gyrus Cinguli, Humans, Models, Biological, Neurons, Primates, Growth and Development

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