Altered insula activation in anticipation of changing emotional states: neural mechanisms underlying cognitive flexibility in Special Operations Forces personnel.
Individuals who perform optimally in extreme conditions, such as elite military warriors, can provide valuable insight into the neurobehavioral mechanisms underlying extraordinary performance. In the current study, we examined the degree to which Navy SEALs, when compared with healthy volunteers, could show more right anterior insula activation when shifting from anticipating one emotion to another during functional MRI. Consistent with our hypothesis, SEALs showed attenuated insula activation to negative image relative to positive image anticipation and greater right anterior insula activation during affective set-shifting. These findings suggest that elite warriors show combined (a) minimal reactivity during negative stimuli and (b) an enhanced ability to efficiently change their physiological state. These neural changes may underlie their ability to perform well in stressful situations.
Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, San Diego, CA 92093, USA. ansimmons@ucsd.edu
Alan N
AN
Simmons
Summer
S
Fitzpatrick
Irina A
IA
Strigo
Eric G
EG
Potterat
Douglas C
DC
Johnson
Scott C
SC
Matthews
Karl F Van
KF
Orden
Judith L
JL
Swain
Martin P
MP
Paulus
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult