Selective processing of social stimuli in the superficial amygdala

Hum Brain Mapp. 2009 Oct;30(10):3332-8. doi: 10.1002/hbm.20755.

Abstract

The human amygdala plays a pivotal role in the processing of socially significant information. Anatomical studies show that the human amygdala is not a single homogeneous structure but is composed of segregable subregions. These have recently been functionally delineated by using a combination of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and cytoarchitectonically defined probabilistic maps. However, the response characteristics and individual contribution of these subregions to the processing of social-emotional stimuli are little understood. Here, we used this novel technique to segregate intra-amygdalar responses to facial expressions and nonsocial control stimuli. We localized facial expression-evoked signal changes bilaterally in the superficial amygdala, which suggests that this subregion selectively extracts the social value of incoming sensory information.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Amygdala / blood supply
  • Amygdala / physiology*
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Brain Mapping*
  • Emotions / physiology*
  • Facial Expression*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / methods
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
  • Male
  • Oxygen / blood
  • Pattern Recognition, Visual
  • Photic Stimulation / methods
  • Probability
  • Reaction Time / physiology
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Oxygen