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Abstract
The early detection of stimuli signalling threat to an organism is a crucial evolutionary
advantage. For example, the perception of aversive bodily sensations such as dyspnea
and pain strongly motivates fast adaptive behaviour to ensure survival. Their similarly
threatening and motivating characters led to the speculation that both sensations
are mediated by common brain areas, which has also been suggested by neuroimaging
studies on either dyspnea or pain. By using functional magnetic resonance imaging
(fMRI), we formally tested this hypothesis and compared the cortical processing of
perceived heat pain and resistive load induced dyspnea in the same group of participants.
Here we show that the perception of both aversive sensations is processed in similar
brain areas including the insula, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala and medial
thalamus. These areas have a documented role in the processing of emotions such as
fear and anxiety. Thus, the current study highlights the role of a common emotion-related
human brain network which underlies the perception of aversive bodily sensations such
as dyspnea and pain. This network seems crucial for translating the threatening character
of different bodily signals into behavioural consequences that promote survival.