Effect of sport activities on brain network of insular cortex

最近的研究发现，岛叶皮质是大脑中统一外周信息和情绪的关键区域。本研究旨在揭示运动经验对岛叶皮质脑网络的影响。我们采用延迟反馈范式作为实验任务，以唤起岛叶皮质的活动，并测量大脑的激活。因此，我们可以证实岛叶皮质的激活，特别是在右侧岛叶皮质的前部。右侧前岛叶皮质的活动与情绪评分呈正相关，表明该区域与情绪加工有关。此外，网络分析确定了与右前岛叶皮质同步的大脑区域。分析表明，运动经验对岛叶皮质有显著影响。目前的结果表明，运动经验可能会影响与情绪处理相关的大脑功能。

Recent studies identified that the insular cortex is a key brain region to unify peripheral information and emotional feelings. The present study aimed to reveal the effect of athletic experience on the brain network of insular cortex. We employed a delayed-feedback paradigm as an experimental task to evoke activity in the insular cortex and measured brain activations. As results, we could confirm the activation of the insular cortex, especially in the anterior part of the right insular cortex. The activity in the right anterior insular cortex showed correlation with emotional scores meaning that the region is related emotional processing. Furthermore, network analyses identified the brain regions that synchronized with the right anterior insular cortex. The analyses showed a significant effect of athletic experience on the insular cortex. The present results suggest that experiences of athletic activity could affect brain functions related to emotional processing.