Intracranial-EEG evidence for medial temporal pole driving amygdala activity induced by multi-modal emotional stimuli

AbstractThe temporal pole (TP) is an associative cortical region required for complex cognitive functions such as social and emotional cognition. However, functional mapping of the TP with functional magnetic resonance imaging is technically challenging and thus understanding of its interaction with other key emotional circuitry, such as the amygdala, remain elusive. We exploited the unique advantages of stereo-electroencephalography (SEEG) to assess the responses of the TP and the amygdala during the perception of emotionally salient stimuli of pictures, music and movies. These stimuli consistently elicited high gamma responses (70-140 Hz) in both the TP and the amygdala, accompanied by functional connectivity in the low frequency range (2-12 Hz). Computational analyses suggested the TP driving this effect in the theta-alpha frequency range and which was modulated by the emotional salience of the stimuli. Of note, cross-frequency analysis indicated the phase of theta-alpha oscillations in the TP modulated the amplitude of high gamma activity in the amygdala. These results were reproducible with three types of stimuli including naturalistic stimuli suggesting a hierarchical influence of the TP over the amygdala in non-threatening stimuli.

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Dissociable contributions of the amygdala to the immediate and delayed effects of emotional arousal on memory

10.1101/269050 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Dirk Schümann ◽

Tobias Sommer

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

Emotional Arousal ◽

Neural Substrates ◽

Emotional Memory ◽

Emotional Stimuli ◽

Delayed Effect ◽

Delayed Effects ◽

Amygdala Activity ◽

Behavioral Memory ◽

Central Noradrenergic System

AbstractEmotionally arousal enhances memory encoding and consolidation leading to better immediate and delayed memory. Although the central noradrenergic system and the amygdala play critical roles in both effects of emotional arousal, we have recently shown that these effects are at least partly independent of each other, suggesting distinct underlying neural mechanisms. Here we aim to dissociate the neural substrates of both effects in 70 female participants using an emotional memory paradigm to investigate how neural activity, as measured by fMRI, and a polymorphism in the α2B-noradrenoceptor vary for these effects. To also test whether the immediate and delayed effects of emotional arousal on memory are stable traits, we invited back participants who were a part of a large-scale behavioral memory study about 3.5 years ago. We replicated the low correlation of the immediate and delayed emotional enhancement of memory across participants (r = 0.16) and observed, moreover, that only the delayed effect was, to some degree, stable over time (r = 0.23). Bilateral amygdala activity, as well as its coupling with the visual cortex and the fusiform gyrus, was related to the preferential encoding of emotional stimuli, which is consistent with affect-biased attention. Moreover, the adrenoceptor genotype modulated the bilateral amygdala activity associated with this effect. The left amygdala and its coupling with the hippocampus was specifically associated with the more efficient consolidation of emotional stimuli, which is consistent with amygdalar modulation of hippocampal consolidation.

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The BDNF Val66Met polymorphism affects amygdala activity in response to emotional stimuli: Evidence from a genetic imaging study

NeuroImage ◽

10.1016/j.neuroimage.2008.06.008 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 42 (4) ◽

pp. 1554-1559 ◽

Cited By ~ 87

Author(s):

Christian Montag ◽

Martin Reuter ◽

Beate Newport ◽

Christian Elger ◽

Bernd Weber

Keyword(s):

Imaging Study ◽

Emotional Stimuli ◽

Val66met Polymorphism ◽

Amygdala Activity ◽

Bdnf Val66met Polymorphism ◽

Genetic Imaging

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Amygdala activation to masked happy facial expressions

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society ◽

10.1017/s1355617709991172 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. 383-387 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

MARIO F. JURUENA ◽

VINCENT P. GIAMPIETRO ◽

STEPHEN D. SMITH ◽

SIMON A. SURGULADZE ◽

JEFFREY A. DALTON ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽

Magnetic Resonance ◽

Facial Expressions ◽

Backward Masking ◽

Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽

Resonance Imaging ◽

Emotional Stimuli ◽

Amygdala Activation ◽

Amygdala Activity ◽

Conscious Processing

AbstractThe amygdala has a key role in automatic non-conscious processing of emotions. Highly salient emotional stimuli elicit amygdala activity, and happy faces are among the most rapidly perceived facial expressions. In backward masking paradigms, an image is presented briefly and then masked by another stimulus. However, reports of amygdala responses to masked happy faces have been mixed. In the present study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine amygdala activation to masked happy, sad, and neutral facial expressions. Masked happy faces elicited greater amygdala activation bilaterally as compared to masked sad faces. Our findings indicate that the amygdala is highly responsive to non-consciously perceived happy facial expressions. (JINS, 2010, 16, 383–387.)

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Emotions Under the Skin

Journal of Psychophysiology ◽

10.1027/0269-8803/a000147 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 29 (4) ◽

pp. 161-170 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Catarina Silva ◽

Ana Cláudia Ferreira ◽

Isabel Soares ◽

Francisco Esteves

Keyword(s):

Attachment Style ◽

Attachment Styles ◽

The Other ◽

Regulatory Function ◽

Physiological Reactivity ◽

Emotional Stimuli ◽

Skin Conductance Responses ◽

Lower Accuracy ◽

Emotional Pictures ◽

Valence And Arousal

Abstract. The present study examined physiological reactivity to emotional stimuli as a function of attachment style. Skin conductance responses (SCRs) and heart rate (HR) changes were simultaneously recorded while participants engaged in a visual attentional task. The task included positive, neutral, and negative emotional pictures, and required the identification of a target (neutral picture rotated 90° to the left or right), among a stream of pictures in which an emotional distracter (positive or negative) was presented. Participants additionally rated each of the emotional distracters for valence and arousal. Behavioral results on the attentional task showed that positive pictures facilitated overall target detection for all participants, compared to negative and neutral pictures, and that anxiously attached participants had significantly lower accuracy scores, relative to the other groups. Affective ratings indicated that positive pictures were rated as being more pleasant than negative ones, although no differences were found in HR changes to picture valence. In contrast, negative pictures were evaluated as being highly arousing. Consistent with this, negative pictures elicited larger SCRs in both insecure anxious and avoidant groups, especially for the anxious while the secure group showed SCRs unaffected by stimuli’s arousal. Present results show that individuals with different attachment styles reveal distinct patterns of attentional bias, appraisal, and physiological reactivity toward emotionally arousing stimuli. These findings further highlight the regulatory function of the attachment system.

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