Sensory profile alterations in patients with insular epilepsy surgery: Preliminary findings

Abstract The insular cortex is now well-established as a potential site of epileptogenesis in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, and its resection has been associated with good outcomes in terms of seizure control. However, given the role of the insula in sensory processing and in visceral information integration, it remains unclear whether insular cortex epilepsy and its surgery are associated with disturbances in sensory information processing and visceral sensation processes as experienced in daily life. In the present study, we examined such sensory disturbances in a group of patients (n = 17) who underwent epilepsy surgery involving a resection of the insula and compared them to a lesion-control group of patients with temporal epilepsy surgery (n = 22) and a healthy control group (n = 29) matched for age, gender, and education. Participants were assessed on the self-report “Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile” questionnaire at least four months after surgery. Our series of one-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs) revealed that insular and temporal resections in patients with drug-refractory epilepsy were associated with a low “sensation seeking” behavior reflecting a lack of engagement with sensory inputs from the environment. Furthermore, insular resections were associated with impairments in the “active behavioral responses” for the gustatory/olfactory modalities. These preliminary findings suggest that insular resections may be associated with mild to moderate alterations in sensory processing.