Minding the Brain The Neuroscience of Emotion – #79
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Dec 1, 2024 Dive into the fascinating connection between the brain and emotions, focusing on the limbic system's role in our emotional experiences. Discover how the amygdala processes fear and its interaction with memory formation in the hippocampus. Learn about stress responses, survival instincts, and the hypothalamus’s regulatory functions. The prefrontal cortex is highlighted as the brain's control center for decision-making, while emotional responses during intense situations are examined, including the impact of trauma and PTSD on our perception.
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The Limbic Circuit and Emotional Processing
- Emotional processing involves many brain regions, especially the limbic circuit.
- The limbic system includes the amygdala, hippocampus, cingulate gyrus, and thalamus.
Amygdala's Role and Subdivisions
- The amygdala, crucial for fear processing, has subdivisions with distinct roles.
- These include the basolateral (BLA), central, and medial nuclei.
Kim's Research on the BLA and Addiction
- Kim Hellemans conducted research on the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and heroin addiction.
- The BLA helps us learn about emotionally charged stimuli and make related decisions.