Multisensory Insular Cortex in the Rat

Compared with other areas of the forebrain, the function of insular cortex is poorly understood. This study examined the unisensory and multisensory function of the rat insula using high-resolution, whole-hemisphere, epipial evoked potential mapping. We found the posterior insula to contain distinct auditory and somatotopically organized somatosensory fields with an interposed and overlapping region capable of integrating these sensory modalities. Unisensory and multisensory responses were uninfluenced by complete lesioning of primary and secondary auditory and somatosensory cortices, suggesting a high degree of parallel afferent input from the thalamus. In light of the established connections of the posterior insula with the amygdala, we propose that integration of auditory and somatosensory modalities reported here may play a role in auditory fear conditioning.