title: Structural asymmetry of anterior insula: behavioral correlates and individual differences.
abstract: The current study investigated behavioral correlates of structural asymmetry of the insula, and traditional perisylvian language regions, in a large sample of young adults (N=200). The findings indicated (1) reliable leftward surface area asymmetry of the anterior insula, (2) association of this asymmetry with divided visual field lateralization of visual word recognition, and (3) modulation of the correlation of structural and linguistic asymmetry by consistency of hand preference. Although leftward asymmetry of cortical surface area was observed for the anterior insula, pars opercularis and triangularis, and planum temporale, only the anterior insula asymmetry was associated with lateralized word recognition. We interpret these findings within the context of recent structural and functional findings about the human insula. We suggest that leftward structural lateralization of earlier developing insular cortex may bootstrap asymmetrical functional lateralization even if the insula is only a minor component of the adult language network.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside CA 92521, USA. christine.chiarello@ucr.edu
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chiarello
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vazquez
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Felton
authors.forename: Christiana M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Leonard
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D007802:Language; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cortical lateralization; Cortical surface area; Handedness; Insula; Language lateralization; Reading skill; Visual word recognition