Features of somatosensory manifestations induced by intracranial electrical stimulations of the human insula.

OBJECTIVE

To study the clinical manifestations induced by intracranial electrical stimulation of the insular cortex in epileptic patients submitted to invasive stereo-electroencephalography (SEEG) recordings.

METHODS

We retrospectively studied the clinical manifestations induced by intracerebral electrical stimulations of the insular cortex in 96 patients. In order to precisely localize the position of the electrodes a postoperative 3D CT scan or a 3D MRI was obtained and then the images were merged with the preoperative MRI in the same stereotactic referenced system.

RESULTS

A total of 341 electrical bipolar stimulations were performed. The most frequently induced symptom was a somatosensory manifestation (70%), mainly tingling and electric sensation involving the contralateral face and arm. Motor responses represented the 8% of the total amount, as well as auditory phenomena. Language dysfunction accounted for 2% of responses. Autonomic and gustatory phenomena represented respectively 1% of responses.

CONCLUSIONS

We found a great prevalence of somatosensory manifestations whereas other types of clinical modifications were extremely infrequent.

SIGNIFICANCE

Our data support a prominent somatosensory role of the human insular cortex and provide a precise characterization of the different types of sensory manifestations induced by intracranial electrical stimulation of the human insula.