Abstract:
The amygdala is important for human fear processing. However, recent research has failed to reveal specificity, with evidence that the amygdala also responds to other emotions. A more nuanced understanding of the amygdala\'s role in emotion processing, particularly relating to fear, is needed given the importance of effective emotional functioning for everyday function and mental health. We studied 86 healthy participants (44 females), aged 18-49 (mean 26.12 ± 6.6) years, who underwent multiband functional magnetic resonance imaging. We specifically examined the reactivity of four amygdala subregions (using regions of interest analysis) and related brain connectivity networks (using generalized psycho-physiological interaction) to fear, angry, and happy facial stimuli using an emotional face-matching task. All amygdala subregions responded to all stimuli (p-FDR < .05), with this reactivity strongly driven by the superficial and centromedial amygdala (p-FDR < .001). Yet amygdala subregions selectively showed strong functional connectivity with other occipitotemporal and inferior frontal brain regions with particular sensitivity to fear recognition and strongly driven by the basolateral amygdala (p-FDR < .05). These findings suggest that amygdala specialization to fear may not be reflected in its local activity but in its connectivity with other brain regions within a specific face-processing network.
摘要:
杏仁核对于人类的恐惧处理很重要。然而,最近的研究未能揭示特异性,有证据表明杏仁核也对其他情绪有反应。对杏仁核在情绪处理中的作用有更细致的理解,特别是关于恐惧,鉴于有效的情绪功能对日常功能和心理健康的重要性,这是需要的。我们研究了86名健康参与者(44名女性),18-49岁(平均26.12±6.6)岁,谁接受了多频带功能磁共振成像。我们特别检查了四个杏仁核子区域(使用感兴趣的区域分析)和相关的大脑连接网络(使用广义的心理生理相互作用)对恐惧的反应性,生气,和快乐的面部刺激使用情感匹配任务。所有杏仁核亚区对所有刺激都有反应(p-FDR<0.05),这种反应强烈地由浅表和中间杏仁核驱动(p-FDR<.001)。然而,杏仁核亚区域选择性地显示出与其他枕颞叶和额叶下脑区的强功能连接,对恐惧识别特别敏感,并由基底外侧杏仁核强烈驱动(p-FDR<.05)。这些发现表明,杏仁核对恐惧的专业化可能不会反映在其局部活动中,而是反映在其与特定面部处理网络中其他大脑区域的连通性中。