Amazing first paper by Connor! Well done!! 👏 🥳
I am thrilled to share that our latest paper has just been published in Human Brain Mapping — a moment that represents more than 2 years of work, and one I am incredibly proud of!
This work would not have been possible without an exceptional team of collaborators: Austin Dibble, Joana Carvalheiro, Filippo Queirazza, Michele Sevegnani, Monika Harvey, Michele Svanera, Alessio Fracasso
Read the full open-access paper here: https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.70486
Delineating In Vivo T1-Weighted Intensity Profiles Within the Human Insula Cortex Using 7-Tesla MRI
The insula is a brain region at the heart of how we feel pain, process emotions, and make decisions. Using cutting-edge 7 Tesla MRI, we were able to map its internal structure in living humans with an unprecedented level of detail, revealing that not all parts of the insula are built the same way. This structural variation likely underpins the insula’s remarkably diverse functions, and opens the door to using individual brain structure as a tool for more personalised approaches to conditions like chronic pain.
For the experts/academics: Using 7 Tesla MP2RAGE imaging, we identified two distinct clusters of relatively high and low T1-weighted signal intensity, replicated across two independent cohorts and scanner vendors (Glasgow, n=21; Amsterdam AHEAD dataset, n=101). The high-signal cluster, reflecting relatively elevated myelination as confirmed by T1Map and R1Map data, is consistently localised to the posterior-superior and anterior-inferior regions of the insula, while the low-signal cluster occupies the middle insular compartment. This tripartite arrangement is stable at the individual subject level and is consistent across both hemispheres and age groups. Critically, detection of the anterior-inferior high-myelination cluster is contingent on atlas choice, appearing only when using the Desikan-Killiany atlas, whose insular ROI extends further anteriorly than the Von Economo-Koskinas atlas employed in prior work. Model comparison further establishes that cluster boundaries reflect stepwise transitions in T1-weighted signal intercept along cortical distance, rather than a continuous gradient, distinguishing our findings from the myeloarchitectonic gradients previously reported at 3 Tesla. These results provide a robust structural complement to the functional tripartite model of the insula and establish a foundation for individual-level, precision neuroimaging approaches in clinical populations.