insula
n. (pl.
insulae) a region of the cerebral cortex of primate brains that is buried in a cleft near the lower end of the lateral sulcus. It is thought to play a major role in emotion (particularly negative emotions, such as disgust), taste, self-awareness, and motor control of functions such as swallowing and speech articulation. It may also be involved in addictive cravings and the regulation of procedural memory. Also called central lobe; insular cortex; island of Reil. [from Latin, “island”; first described by German physician Johann Reil (1759–1813)]