Neurovisceral Integration Model Research Articles

Functional interplay between central and autonomic nervous systems in human fear conditioning

Historically, studies on the neural basis of fear conditioning have emphasized the role of the central nervous system. However, there is growing evidence for the role of the autonomic nervous system in human fear conditioning. Here, we provide an overview of the sophisticated anatomical-functional interplay between the prefrontal cortex and heart-related dynamics in human fear conditioning and propose a theoretical model to conceptualize these psychophysiological processes, the neurovisceral integration model of fear(NVI-f). A richer understanding of the neurovisceral concomitants of this functional interplay will have both theoretical and clinical implications.

Brain-Heart Link in Schizophrenia: Cognitive Inhibitory Control Deficit in Patients Is Specifically Related to Parasympathetic Dysregulation.

BackgroundThis study examined the connection between two prominent deficits in schizophrenia: the deficit in parasympathetic regulation and the deficit in cognitive inhibitory control, within the framework of the Neurovisceral Integration Model (NIM).Study DesignThirty healthy controls and 30 patients with schizophrenia performed the internationally standardized antisaccade protocol while their electrocardiographic data were recorded. The interaction between the group, the cognitive inhibitory control as measured with error rate (ER) in the antisaccade task and parasympathetic activity as measured with the High Frequency power component of Heart Rate Variability (HF-HRV) was tested.Study ResultsFindings confirmed that decreased HF-HRV was specifically related to increased ER in patients with schizophrenia. In contrast, patient deficits in other oculomotor function measures such as reaction time and reaction time variability related to volitional movement control and cognitive stability respectively were not linked to the deficit in parasympathetic regulation.ConclusionsOur study validates the theory behind NIM proposing that cognitive inhibition has common physiological substrate with parasympathetic regulation. Future research could test this brain-heart link in other mental disorders especially those with a prominent deficit in inhibitory cognitive function.

Resilience of the hellenic navy SEALs assessed by heart rate variability during cognitve tasks

Abstract Background The interaction between high physical performance under extreme conditions and simultaneous control of the cognitive executive functioning has been a subject of research in literature for the past few decades. Stroop test and Heart-rate variability (HRV), have been verified clinical tools for the assessment of cerebral and autonomic/ cardiovascular stress responses respectively. Purpose The investigation of HRV adaptive response to stress and cognitive stress resilience under extremely strenuous conditions. Methods 34 consecutive subjects were enrolled. Of them, 18 were candidates under intense preparation for their enlistment in the Hellenic Navy SEALs (HNS) and 16 were healthy controls (HC). All subjects underwent stroop tasks, along with mental state and personality examination. HRV variables in time and frequency domains recordings were acquired, during each aforementioned cognitive testing procedure. Results HNS's performance on both cognitive and emotion stroop tasks were equivalent to controls. During the size comparison of the number stroop and emotion stroop, HC had statistically significantly higher power content at different HRV frequency bands compared to HNS participants (p=0.036 and p=0.06 respectively). Finally, in a between group comparison of the psychometric tools, HNS had significantly higher somatization (p<0.01), anxiety (p=0.037) and neuroticism (p=0.047) than HC. Correlation was conducted for each group separately, between the psychometric tools and the measurements of HRV for both number and emotion stroop. Moderate negative correlations were found between SDNN (Standard deviation of normal-to-normal RR-intervals) during the size comparison of number stroop and three out of nine categories of psychometric questionnaire; somatization (r(23)=−0.452, p<0.05), anxiety (r(23)=−0.457, p<0.05) and hostility (r(23)=−0.445, p<0.05) Conclusion The above findings suggest that HNS display flexibility in their autonomic regulation during cognitive and emotional tasks. This characteristic is closely related to problem solving or adaptability skills. Additionally, HRV can be a promising clinical index regarding the assessment of psychophysiological resilience especially in the neurovisceral integration (NVI) model. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): Region of Attica

N2 event-related potential component is associated with cardiac autonomic tone regulation during mental fatigue

Mental fatigue alters cognitive performance and autonomic regulation. The neurovisceral model proposes that forebrain structures associated to cognitive control abilities influences heart rate variability. Parasympathetic mediated heart rate variability indices reduction during mental fatigue experience is well-described in previous studies, but the contribution of heart-brain axis to cardiac autonomic adaptation remains unknown. This study investigates the association between root mean square of successive differences between RR intervals (rMSSD) and N2 event-related potential component during visual prolonged odd/ball task (≅ 60min.). The comparison between task blocks shows that rMSSD (p = 0.004) and N2 (p = 0.04) decreased with time on task. Pearson correlation shows that ΔrMSSD is associated with ΔN2 (p = 0.007). Our results support the neurovisceral integration model showing that cognitive control contributes to cardiac autonomic tone adaptation during mental fatigue experience.

Is Low Heart Rate Variability Associated with Emotional Dysregulation, Psychopathological Dimensions, and Prefrontal Dysfunctions? An Integrative View.

Several studies have suggested a correlation between heart rate variability (HRV), emotion regulation (ER), psychopathological conditions, and cognitive functions in the past two decades. Specifically, recent data seem to support the hypothesis that low-frequency heart rate variability (LF-HRV), an index of sympathetic cardiac control, correlates with worse executive performances, worse ER, and specific psychopathological dimensions. The present work aims to review the previous findings on these topics and integrate them from two main cornerstones of this perspective: Porges’ Polyvagal Theory and Thayer and Lane’s Neurovisceral Integration Model, which are necessary to understand these associations better. For this reason, based on these two approaches, we point out that low HRV is associated with emotional dysregulation, worse cognitive performance, and transversal psychopathological conditions. We report studies that underline the importance of considering the heart-brain relation in order to shed light on the necessity to implement psychophysiology into a broader perspective on emotions, mental health, and good cognitive functioning. This integration is beneficial not only as a theoretical ground from which to start for further research studies but as a starting point for new theoretical perspectives useful in clinical practice.

Self-Reported Emotion Regulation Is Associated With Response to Test of Cardiac Vagal Function

Abstract. Parasympathetic function and emotional self-regulation (ESR) share neuroanatomic structures. Based on Porges’ Polyvagal Theory and the Neurovisceral Integration Model (NIM), we compared vagally mediated heart-rate variability (vmHRV) with psychometrically assessed ESR. We hypothesized that vmHRV and ESR would be associated during rest, a vagal function test, and recovery from that test. A significant association would justify the psychometric measuring of parasympathetic health, which is less burdensome than its psychophysiological assessment. Two hundred thirteen healthy males (aged: 18–26 years, M = 20.29 years) took part in the present study. They completed the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) and underwent the Cold Face Test (CFT) for 4 min wearing ambulatory electrocardiograms. A High frequency (HF) band was used as a measure of vmHRV before, during, and after the CFT. Associations between the HF band and ESR were analyzed with partial rank correlations. There was no significant association between ERQ scores and the response to the CFT itself. But there was an almost significant association between the ERQ scale Cognitive Appraisal and baseline vmHRV, and a significant association between Cognitive Appraisal and cardiac recovery from the CFT, that is, participants with higher scores on that ESR scale revealed a tendency to exhibit greater vmHRV during baseline and they exhibited greater vagal withdrawal during recovery from the CFT. Cognitive appraisal as a psychometrically assessed emotion regulatory process was reflected in a more flexible parasympathetic activity (i.e., better cardiac vagal health) during recovery from an exclusively physiological stressor. This lends convergent validity to self-reported emotion regulation, and justification for its use as a measure of ESR as a trait, offering further support for the Polyvagal Theory and NIM.

Resilience of the Hellenic navy seals assessed by heart rate variability during cognitive tasks

ObjectivesThe interaction between high physical performance under extreme conditions in military and the simultaneous control of the cognitive executive functioning has been a subject of research in literature for the past few decades. Stroop test and Heart-rate variability (HRV), have been verified valuable clinical tools for the assessment of cerebral and autonomic/ cardiovascular stress responses respectively. MethodsThirty-four subjects were enrolled in this study. Of them, 18 were candidates under intense preparation for their enlistment in the Hellenic Navy SEALs (HN-SEALs) and 16 were healthy controls (HC). All subjects underwent stroop tasks, along with mental state and personality examination. HRV variables in time and frequency domains recordings were acquired, during each aforementioned cognitive testing procedure. ResultsOur results showed that HNS's performance on both cognitive and emotion stroop tasks were equivalent to controls (p≥.054); however, HNS exhibited statistically significant lower levels of HRV in different time and frequency domain variables, compared to HC (ranged from p<.01 to p<.05). Finally, in a between group comparison of the psychometric tools, HNS had significantly higher somatization, anxiety and neuroticism than HC. ConclusionIn conclusion, these findings indicate that HNS display flexibility in their autonomic regulation during cognitive and emotional tasks. This characteristic is closely related to problem solving or adaptability skills. Therefore, we support that HRV measurement turns out to be an invaluable tool for both scientific and clinical insights, promising to be an index regarding the psychophysiological resilience especially in the neurovisceral integration (NVI) model.

The Influence of Slow-Paced Breathing on Executive Function

Abstract. The aim of this experiment was to test the immediate effects of slow-paced breathing on executive function. Slow-paced breathing is suggested to increase cardiac vagal activity, and the neurovisceral integration model predicts that higher cardiac vagal activity leads to better executive functioning. In total, 78 participants (41 men, 37 women; Mage = 23.22 years) took part in two counterbalanced experimental conditions: a 3 × 5 min slow-paced breathing condition and a television viewing control condition. After each condition, heart rate variability was measured and participants performed three executive function tasks: the color-word match Stroop (inhibition), the automated operation span task (working memory), and the modified card sorting task (cognitive flexibility). Results showed that performance on executive function tasks was better after slow-paced breathing compared to control, with higher scores observed for Stroop interference accuracy, automated operation span score, and perseverative errors, but not Stroop interference reaction times. This difference in executive function between experimental conditions was not mediated by cardiac vagal activity. Therefore, findings only partially align with predictions of the neurovisceral integration model. Slow-paced breathing appears a promising technique to improve immediate executive function performance. Further studies are recommended that address possible alternative underlying mechanisms and long-term effects.

Toward a unified model of stress recovery and cognitive restoration in nature

There is abundant evidence for both cognitive and affective improvements stemming from spending time in nature; however, the mechanism underlying these effects are still under debate. Frameworks such as Attention Restoration Theory (ART; Kaplan 1995) and Stress Recovery Theory (SRT; Ulrich et al. 1991) have been helpful in understanding how restoration is achieved. Using the neurovisceral integration model (NIVM; Thayer and Lane 2000, 2002), we suggest that cognitive restoration and stress recovery co-occur and that they are bidirectional manifestations of activity in the vagus nerve, which links the peripheral nervous system (PNS) to the central nervous system (CNS). Future research should examine both PNS and CNS activity simultaneously to provide a better understanding of the changes in the body and brain associated with immersion in nature. This research program will provide the scientific evidence to help inform public policy related to human health, urban design, and environmental protection.

Influences of Autonomic Function, Salivary Cortisol and Physical Activity on Cognitive Functions in Institutionalized Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment: Based on Neurovisceral Integration Model

This study aimed to investigate objectively measured physical activity (PA) in institutionalized older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and to elucidate the influence of autonomic nervous function, salivary cortisol, and PA on cognitive functions based on neurovisceral integration model. Overall cognitive function was evaluated using the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and executive function was evaluated using semantic verbal fluency test and clock drawing test. Actigraph for PA, HRV and sAA for autonomous function, and the geriatric depression scale for depression were used. Saliva specimens were collected in the morning for sAA and cortisol. Ninety-eight older adults from four regional geriatric hospitals participated in the study. They took 4,499 steps per day on average. They spent 753.93 minutes and 23.12 minutes on average in sedentary and moderate-to-vigorous activity, respectively. In the multiple regression analysis, lower salivary cortisol level (β = - .33, p = .041) and greater step counts (β = .37, p = .029) significantly improved MMSE score. Greater step count (β = .27, p = .016) also exerted a significant influence on verbal fluency, and greater sAA (β = .35, p = .026) was significantly associated with a better clock drawing test result. Salivary cortisol, sAA and physical activity were significantly associated with cognitive functions. To prevent older adults from developing dementia, strategies are needed to increase their overall PA amount by decreasing sedentary time and to decrease salivary cortisol for cognitive function, and to maintain their sympathetic nervous activity for executive function.

Probing Neurovisceral Integration via Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and Heart Rate Variability.

The neurovisceral integration model (NVM) proposes that an organism’s ability to flexibly adapt to its environment is related to biological flexibility within the central autonomic network (CAN). One important aspect of this flexibility is behavioral inhibition (Thayer and Friedman, 2002). During a behavioral inhibition task, the CAN, which comprises a series of feedback loops, must be able to integrate information and react to these inputs flexibly to facilitate optimal performance. The functioning of the CAN is shown to be associated with respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), as the vagus nerve is part of this feedback system. Although the NVM has been examined through neural imaging and RSA, only a few studies have examined these measures simultaneously during the neuroimaging procedure. Furthermore, these studies were done at rest or used tasks that were not targeted at processes associated with the NVM, such as behavioral inhibition and cognitive flexibility. For this reason, the present study assessed RSA and neural activation in the pre-frontal cortex simultaneously while participants completed a behavior inhibition task. RSA and functional near-infrared spectroscopy were collected in 38 adults, and resting levels of pre-frontal activation were negatively related to RSA, but pre-frontal activation during the behavior inhibition task was not. The negative relationship between RSA and oxygenated hemoglobin is consistent with previous functional magnetic resonance imaging work examining the NVM at baseline and should be further studied. Additional research investigating how this relationship may change based on task demands or environmental contexts would help clarify the applicability of the model.

Neural and physiological relations observed in musical beat and meter processing.

IntroductionMusic is ubiquitous and powerful in the world's cultures. Music listening involves abundant information processing (e.g., pitch, rhythm) in the central nervous system and can also induce changes in the physiology, such as heart rate and perspiration. Yet, previous studies tended to examine music information processing in the brain separately from physiological changes. In the current study, we focused on the temporal structure of music (i.e., beat and meter) and examined the physiology, neural processing, and, most importantly, the relation between the two areas.MethodsSimultaneous MEG and ECG data were collected from a group of adults (N = 15) while they passively listened to duple and triple rhythmic patterns. To characterize physiology, we measured heart rate variability (HRV), indexing the parasympathetic nervous system function (PSNS). To characterize neural processing of beat and meter, we examined the neural entertainment and calculated the beat‐to‐meter ratio to index the relation between beat‐level and meter‐level entrainment. Specifically, the current study investigated three related questions: (a) whether listening to musical rhythms affects HRV; (b) whether the neural beat‐to‐meter ratio differed between metrical conditions, and (c) whether neural beat‐to‐meter ratio is related to HRV.ResultsResults suggest that while at the group level, both HRV and neural processing are highly similar across metrical conditions, at the individual level, neural beat‐to‐meter ratio significantly predicts HRV, establishing a neural–physiological link.ConclusionThis observed link is discussed under the theoretical “neurovisceral integration model,” and it provides important new perspectives in music cognition and auditory neuroscience research.

Inertia of emotions and inertia of the heart: Physiological processes underlying inertia of negative emotions at work

Emotional inertia is a key feature of emotional dynamics and it refers to the degree to which a current emotional state can be predicted by a previous emotional state. In this study, using the experience sampling method, we examined the relationship between inertia of negative emotions at work and parasympathetic activity, measured by vagally-mediated heart rate variability (HRV). In line with current literature on HRV, we propose that temporal dependency of negative emotions at work may be associated to lower HRV, an important marker of the ability to flexibly adjust to a changing environment. Participants (n = 120) were prompted six times during a regular workday, while wearing a heart rate monitor. In accordance with the polyvagal theory and the model of neurovisceral integration, findings supported our hypothesis and indicated that workers with lower HRV tend to show high time persistence of negative emotions at work. Practical implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Autonomic flexibility reflects learning and associated neuroplasticity in old age.

Effective learning in old age, particularly in those at risk for dementia, is essential for prolonging independent living. Individual variability in learning, however, is remarkable; that is, months of cognitive training to improve learning may be beneficial for some individuals but not others. So far, little is known about which neurophysiological mechanisms account for the observed variability in learning induced by cognitive training in older adults. By combining Lövdén et al.'s (2010, A theoretical framework for the study of adult cognitive plasticity. Psychological Bulletin, 136, 659–676) framework proposing the role of adaptation capacity in neuroplasticity and a neurovisceral integration model of the relationship between autonomic nervous system (ANS) and brain with a novel shapelet analytical approach that allows for accurate and interpretable analysis of time series data, we discovered an acute, ECG‐derived ANS segment in response to cognitive training tasks at baseline that predicted learning outcomes from a 6‐week cognitive training intervention. The relationship between the ANS segment and learning was robust in both cross‐participant and cross‐task analyses among a group of older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment. Furthermore, the revealed ANS shapelet significantly predicted training‐induced neuroplasticity in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and select frontal regions during task fMRI. Across outcome measures, individuals were less likely to prospectively benefit from the cognitive training if their ECG data were more similar to this particular ANS segment at baseline. Our findings are among the first empirical evidence to confirm that adaptation capacity, indexed by ANS flexibility, predicts individual differences in learning and associated neuroplasticity beyond individual characteristics (e.g., age, education, neurodegeneration, total training).

The link between resting heart rate variability and affective flexibility.

The neurovisceral integration model aims to account for the complex interplay between physiological, cognitive, and emotion regulation processes through their support by common cortico-subcortical neural circuits. According to the model, vagally mediated heart rate variability (HRV) serves as a peripheral index of the functioning of these circuits, with higher levels of resting HRV reflecting more optimal functioning, to support goal-directed behaviour and adaptability to environmental demands. Although increased cognitive flexibility has been related to higher resting HRV, this has not been assessed in the context of emotional information to examine the interplay between cognition and emotion. Therefore, we investigated (n = 109) the relationship between resting HRV and performance on a task-switching paradigm in which participants shift attention between affective and nonaffective aspects of emotional material. Resting HRV was not associated with flexibility in processing of positive material, but more efficient shifting of attention (greater flexibility) from affective to nonaffective aspects of negative information was related to lower resting HRV. The avoidance theory of worry and anxiety, as well as empirical evidence, links anxiety to attentional avoidance of negative information. Our findings therefore support the neurovisceral integration model such that when greater flexibility can facilitate attentional avoidance of negative information-as seen in anxiety-it is related to lower resting HRV.

Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation May Enhance Only Specific Aspects of the Core Executive Functions. A Randomized Crossover Trial.

BackgroundIndividuals are able to perform goal-directed behaviors thanks to executive functions. According to the neurovisceral integration model, executive functions are upregulated by brain areas such as the prefrontal and cingulate cortices, which are also crucially involved in controlling cardiac vagal activity. An array of neuroimaging studies already showed that these same brain areas are activated by transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS). Despite evidence toward effects of tVNS on specific executive functions such as inhibitory control, there have been no studies investigating what type of inhibition is improved by tVNS by systematically addressing them within the same experiment. Furthermore, the effect of tVNS on another core executive function, cognitive flexibility, has not yet been investigated.ObjectiveWe investigated the effects of tVNS on core executive functions such as inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility.MethodsThirty-two participants (nine women, Mage = 23.17) took part in this study. Vagally mediated heart rate variability parameters (root mean square of successive differences, RMSSD, and high frequency, HF) were measured while participants performed four different cognitive tasks that mainly rely on different aspects of both the aforementioned executive functions.ResultsDespite clear conflict effects in the four tasks, only performance on the task used to measure set-shifting paradigm was improved by tVNS, with switch costs being lower during tVNS than during sham stimulation. Furthermore, HF increased during each of the cognitive flexibility tasks, although HF during tVNS did not differ from HF during sham stimulation.ConclusionThe results indicate for the first time (a) that tVNS can increase cognitive flexibility in a set-shifting paradigm, and (b) that tVNS may exert a stronger effect on cognitive flexibility than inhibition. The present study provides only partial evidence for the neurovisceral integration model. Future studies should address further paradigms that demand cognitive flexibility, thus investigating this new hypothesis on the specificity of the tVNS effects on cognitive flexibility.

Emotion Regulation Difficulties Are Not Always Associated With Negative Outcomes on Women: The Buffer Effect of HRV.

The Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is regularly associated with depression and trait emotion regulation. However, the interaction between HRV and emotional disturbances is still debated. Only a few studies indicate that HRV moderates the effect of personality traits involved in psychopathological disorders. Since the regulation of emotions is a transdiagnostic factor for most psychological disorders, this study aimed to explore whether HRV moderates the relationship between trait emotion dysregulation and depressive symptoms. We collected data from 148 participants via online questionnaires and HRV measurements at rest. Results show for the 114 female remaining in the study that whereas high emotion regulation difficulties led to higher depressive symptoms severity when resting HRV is low, depressive symptoms remain stable in the same condition but when resting HRV is high. Overall, high resting HRV appears to dampen the consequences of trait emotion regulation difficulties. Further studies are needed to confirm this result, but this suggests that usual response tendencies could be overcome by deactivating or inhibitory processes such as those implied in cognitive flexibility reflected through HRV, according to the neurovisceral integration model.

Neurovisceral regulatory circuits of affective resilience in youth: Principal outline of a dynamic model of neurovisceral integration in development.

The Neurovisceral Integration Model (NIM) is one of the most influential psychophysiological models addressing the interplay between the autonomic (ANS) and central nervous system (CNS). In their groundbreaking conceptual work, integrating autonomic, attentional, and affective systems into a functional and structural network, Thayer & Lane laid the foundation for empirical research in the past two decades. The present paper provides a principal outline aiming to reflect and further elaborate on the model from a dynamic developmental perspective. The central question at hand is, how does neurovisceral integration develop (early in life)? By reviewing the existing evidence, it is illustrated that key components of the model, both, on a physiological and psychological level, undergo extensive change early in the course of life. This sensitive period of human development seems key for our understanding of the integrated action of the ANS and CNS in emotion across the lifespan. Early life events may interfere with the fine-tuned interplay of this shared neural circuitry resulting in long-term dysfunction and psychiatric illness. In the absence of longitudinal data covering the entire co-development of the ANS and CNS from early childhood to adolescence into early adulthood, it is suggested, that vagal activity and its normative increase in adolescence is a key premise for normative brain development on a structural and functional level, subsequent psychological functioning and adaptive regulation. Implications from this dynamic perspective and suggestions for future research in the field of developmental psychophysiology are discussed.

Action versus state orientation moderates the relation between executive function task performance and resting heart rate variability

Despite a considerable rationale for a relationship between executive functions (EFs) and resting heart rate variability based on the neurovisceral integration model, meta-analyses reveal relatively small effect sizes. This study aims to evaluate this relationship in three EF tasks by taking task characteristics and implicit affect and attention regulation measured by action-state orientation into account. Analyzing 154 participants (M = 23.56 years; SD = 3.14) indicated that the relationship was moderated by action-state orientation. However, the Johnson-Neyman test only found a relationship for state-oriented individuals, which also differed in the direction between demanding and low-demanding tasks. Therefore, this study cannot fully confirm the neurovisceral integration model. Implications for future research are discussed.

Emotion-body connection dispositions modify the insulae-midcingulate effective connectivity during anger processing.

The link between anger and bodily states is readily apparent based on the autonomic and behavioral responses elicited. In everyday life angry people react in different ways, from being agitated with an increased heart rate to remaining silent or detached. Neuroimaging evidence supports the role of mid-posterior insula and midcingulate cortex/MCC as key nodes of a sensorimotor network that predominantly responds to salient stimuli, integration of interoceptive and autonomic information, as well as to awareness of bodily movements for coordinated motion. However, there is still a lack of clarity concerning how interindividual variability in bodily states reactions drives the connectivity within these key nodes in the sensorimotor network during anger processing. Therefore, we investigated whether individual differences in body-centered emotional experience, that is an active (inward prone) or inactive (outward prone) emotion-body connection disposition, would differently affect the information flow within these brain regions. Two groups of participants underwent fMRI scanning session watching video clips of actors performing simple actions with angry and joyful facial expressions. The whole-brain group-by-session interaction analysis showed that the bilateral insula and the right MCC were selectively activated by inward group during the angry session, whereas the outward group activated more the precuneus during the joyful session. Accordingly, dynamic causal modeling analyses (DCM) revealed an excitatory modulatory effect exerted by anger all over the insulae-MCC connectivity in the inward group, whereas in the outward group the modulatory effect exerted was inhibitory. Modeling the variability related to individual differences in body-centered emotional experience allowed to better explain to what extent subjective dispositions contributed to the insular activity and its connectivity. In addition, from the perspective of a hierarchical model of neurovisceral integration, these findings add knowledge to the multiple ways which the insula and MCC dynamically integrate affective and bodily aspects of the human experience.