Journal article
Amygdala contribution to selective dimensions of emotion
Social cognitive and affective neuroscience, Vol.2(2), pp.123-129
06/2007
DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsm008
PMCID: PMC2293306
PMID: 18414599
Abstract
The amygdala has been implicated in emotional processes, although the precise nature of the emotional deficits following amygdala lesions remains to be fully elucidated. Cognitive disturbances in the perception, recognition or memory of emotional stimuli have been suggested by some, whereas others have proposed changes in emotional arousal. To address this issue, measures of emotional arousal and valence (positivity and negativity) to a graded series of emotional pictures were obtained from patients with lesions of the amygdala and from a clinical contrast group with lesions that spared this structure. Relative to the contrast group, patients with damage to the amygdala evidenced a complete lack of an arousal gradient across negative stimuli, although they displayed a typical arousal gradient to positive stimuli. These results were not attributable to the inability of amygdala patients to process the hostile or hospitable nature of the stimuli, as the amygdala group accurately recognized and categorized both positive and negative features of the stimuli. The relative lack of emotional arousal to negative stimuli may account for many of the clinical features of amygdala lesions.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Amygdala contribution to selective dimensions of emotion
- Creators
- Gary G Berntson - 1Departments of Psychology, Psychiatry & Pediatrics, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, 43210, 2Department of Psychology and the Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, and the Department of Neurology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, 3Department of Psychology and Dornsife Center for Cognitive Neuroimaging, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, 90089, 4Departments of Neurology and Psychology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 52242, and 5Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, 60637, USAAntoine Bechara - 1Departments of Psychology, Psychiatry & Pediatrics, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, 43210, 2Department of Psychology and the Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, and the Department of Neurology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, 3Department of Psychology and Dornsife Center for Cognitive Neuroimaging, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, 90089, 4Departments of Neurology and Psychology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 52242, and 5Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, 60637, USAHanna Damasio - 1Departments of Psychology, Psychiatry & Pediatrics, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, 43210, 2Department of Psychology and the Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, and the Department of Neurology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, 3Department of Psychology and Dornsife Center for Cognitive Neuroimaging, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, 90089, 4Departments of Neurology and Psychology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 52242, and 5Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, 60637, USADaniel Tranel - 1Departments of Psychology, Psychiatry & Pediatrics, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, 43210, 2Department of Psychology and the Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, and the Department of Neurology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, 3Department of Psychology and Dornsife Center for Cognitive Neuroimaging, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, 90089, 4Departments of Neurology and Psychology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 52242, and 5Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, 60637, USAJohn T Cacioppo - 1Departments of Psychology, Psychiatry & Pediatrics, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, 43210, 2Department of Psychology and the Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, and the Department of Neurology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, 3Department of Psychology and Dornsife Center for Cognitive Neuroimaging, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, 90089, 4Departments of Neurology and Psychology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 52242, and 5Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, 60637, USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Social cognitive and affective neuroscience, Vol.2(2), pp.123-129
- DOI
- 10.1093/scan/nsm008
- PMID
- 18414599
- PMCID
- PMC2293306
- NLM abbreviation
- Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci
- ISSN
- 1749-5016
- eISSN
- 1749-5024
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 06/2007
- Academic Unit
- Neurology; Psychological and Brain Sciences; Iowa Neuroscience Institute
- Record Identifier
- 9984002496302771
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