Neuroanatomical basis for first- and second-order representations of bodily states.

摘要: Changes in bodily states, particularly those mediated by the autonomic nervous system, are crucial to ongoing emotional experience. A theoretical model proposes a first-order autoregulatory representation of state at level dorsal pons, and second-order experience-dependent re-mapping changes within structures such as cingulate medial parietal cortices. We tested these anatomical predictions using positron emission tomography human neurological (pure failure), which peripheral denervation prevents emergence responses. Compared controls, we observed task-independent differences activity pons context-induced PAF patients. An absence afferent feedback concerning autonomically generated states was associated with subtle impairments responses Our findings provide empirical support for theory proposing hierarchical states.