The “salience network” is a pattern of neural networking that relates to detecting emotional and reward saliency. It is a network that helps us determine what is to our best interest on an emotional level, being sensitive to the interoceptive information from within the body. The core of the salience network is the anterior insula and the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. It is believed the salience network is involved in a number of complex functions of communication, social behavior, and self-awareness through the integration of sensory, emotional, and cognitive information.
For more on the salience network we recommend John Arden’s book Mind-Brain-Gene or his online course.
