That almond-shaped structure we call amygdala is typically thought of as solely (or mainly) involved in negative affect. However, some studies have suggested that the amygdala is also involved in other processes, such as novelty (of faces). It should come as a big surprise, however, to many researchers that this structure is also involved in positive emotions. It runs counter to many ideas and interpretations of amygdala activation in, e.g., fMRI studies.
Even more so, in a recent paper in TICS, Elisabeth Murray from the NIH put forth three distinct claims regarding amygdala function (and structure):
- amygdala plays a role in positive affect, and therefore not exclusively — or even mainly — in negative affect
- contrary to an influential model, recent evidence points to a distinction between emotion and reward and contradicts previous conclusions about the role of the amygdala in reward processing
- the amygdala is not a single “thing” but a conglomerate of structures playing different roles in emotional and non-emotional processes
The research reviewed is, as always in the case of Murray, well supported and yet controversial. To anyone studying emotions and reward, it’s a must-read. But even to people studying other functions and regions, it’s a principal discussion and a well-needed lesson in the still-present oversimplified neo-phrenology seen in cognitive neuroscience.
So next time you see the amygdala light up during a brain scan, resort from interpreting it as a sign of anxiety or fear.
-Thomas
[…] I just say that the amygdala is involved in positive emotions, too? So what does amygdala activation mean, […]
IDM has promoted the positive aspects of the amygdala for years – and with supporting references – so someone has not been doing their homework in considering such as ‘new’! 😉
The positive emerges naturally from the self-referencing of the fight/flight dichotomy where that dichotomy appears to have emerged from a more generic focus on intent in dealing with context – to replace or coexist and all of these dichotomies are specialist expressions of the differentiating/integrating dichotomy as used in the brain’s processing of information (and that traceable down to the humble neuron)
For IDM on emotions see:
http://members.iimetro.com.au/~lofting/myweb/emote.html
Chris
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generic categories of meaning:
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Objects bias (differentiating):
BLEND – wholeness, whole numbers
BOUND – partness, rational numbers
Relationships bias (integrating):
BOND – share space, irrational numbers
BIND – share time, imaginary numbers
From these come composites as reals, complex, quaternions, octonions. All else follows….
http://members.iimetro.com.au/~lofting/myweb/introIDM.html