# Insular Cortex and Social Affect

> **NIH NIH R01** · BOSTON COLLEGE · 2022 · $391,250

## Abstract

Abstract
Disorders involving social behaviors such as autism spectrum disorder are increasingly prevalent, yet the
pathophysiological bases for these conditions elude researchers and current treatments are woefully
inadequate. The insular cortex is highly implicated in both normal and pathological social affective processes
such as emotion recognition and empathy. The insular cortex receives a major input from the amygdala and so
it is likely a site of integration for social and emotional information leading to modulation of social approach and
avoidance behaviors via insular projections to the nucleus accumbens. Using a simple rodent social behavioral
test in which rats display approach behaviors to conspecifics in distress, we hypothesize that an amygdala to
insula to accumbens circuit mediates social responses to stressed individuals. We will use tract specific
descriptive and mechanistic methods to establish the necessity and sufficiency of insula-projecting amygdala
neurons and accumbens-projecting insula neurons in social decision making. Using activity dependent genetic
labeling of insular cortex neurons we will address whether insula-dependent approach and avoidant behaviors
are mediated by the same or distinct subsets of insula neurons. This work will inform the development of new
treatments of social disorders and provide mechanistic tests of major theoretical models of the social brain.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10318562
- **Project number:** 5R01MH119422-04
- **Recipient organization:** BOSTON COLLEGE
- **Principal Investigator:** John Paul Christianson
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $391,250
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-04-01 → 2023-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10318562

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10318562, Insular Cortex and Social Affect (5R01MH119422-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10318562. Licensed CC0.

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