Damage To The Amygdala

Because of Patient SM’s condition, she has been harmed, held at gunpoint, and has even had history of being involved in domestic violence. She does not have the capability to learn from the situations she has been through. The amygdala is very important and it is also the reason why we connect fearful stimuli to a particular situation. Therefore, Patient SM lacks the ability to connect the stimulus and memories she has obtained through these situations.

A child who is under the age of puberty is lacking the chemicals in the brain to see the whole picture and make decisions so the wounds that happen in childhood, a time during which the child does not have the capacity to understand, trigger responses not based on the whole picture of the event just happened, it is based on the adrenaline of the events and the relationship of the current event to previous events and trauma stored in the brain. Once a child is traumatized, the child will be more vulnerable to perceiving future events as trauma. In the bible Paul says, “We are not to cast down arguments or strongholds and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bring every thought into captivity and to the obedience

Since it is close structurally to the hippocampus, the amygdala is involved in controlling memory consolidation, especially emotional memories; when a memory is emotionally charged, it has a better retention rate than one that is not. The hippocampus is generally seen as having an essential role in the creation of new memories about past experiences; it's even responsible for memories that can be verbalized also known as declarative memory. Damage to it result in difficulties in forming new memories and being able to access new memories formed before the

Researchers believe that if people hold on to negative feelings, melancholy emotions, and depressing memories it could reshape their brain to where their thoughts can have a damaging effect on their human cells and physical health (Harjee). If people stay attached to these miserable thoughts, they’ll never be able to experience anything remotely uplifting in the future. All they will be able to think about is the horrible mistakes and miserable consequences from their past and never learn from it. An example would be if a teacher made mistakes in the classroom and keeps reminding themselves of the mistake they made. Kevin Goodyear, a teacher who specializes on performance of fine arts said, ““If I let those mistakes govern my life and I constantly dwell on the negative consequences of those mistakes, I cannot improve and I become pessimistic and poor natured” (Goodyear). Hanging on to negative thoughts can destroy in ways people would have never thought were possible. It is like staying in a locked jail cell when having the key to open it in the lock of the door.

Signal processing within the amygdala is further regulated by interactions with a network of external structures. In particular, the dMT and its projections to the CeL have been demonstrated to play a role in fear memory retrieval. Notably, the dMT is assumed to be extensively modulated by opioids considering its innervation with opioidergic fibers and the high expression levels of MORs. Previous studies have reported the MOR system in the PVT, as part of the dMT, to be involved in managing physical pain. Moreover, social pain, which describes social rejection, being excluded or not being liked by others and which is associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression, appears to involve the MOR system in the PVT (Hsu et al). However, so far a direct implication of

It is believed that a mutation in the prefrontal cortex predisposes some people to violence. The frontal lobe is what we use to make decisions and, when fully developed, allows us to think carefully about our actions before we take them. An alteration in the prefrontal cortex may make us susceptible to impulsive and rash behaviors. For example, teens tend to be more reckless than adults. The teen frontal lobe is not fully formed, which is the reason for this outcome. Teens also tend to rely on their amygdalas to make decision. The amygdala is the center for powerful emotions, such as anger, jealousy, and guilt. For example, psychopaths have been found to be void of guilt and regret as a result of “the amygdala [being] less activated when they

Because this process in the brain is so sensitive, lots of things can alter it and mess with the “creation and storage” as well everything that makes the thinking part of the brain conscious (Howard & Crandall, page 10). If something does interfere or disrupt with the regulatory processes of the brain, such as danger, or any traumatic experience in this case, the amygdala determines that danger is present. Trauma will trigger the “flight or fight” sequence as well as set off stress hormones that raise adrenaline, including blood pressure and heart rate. While one interference, depending on the amount of fear a person has, may not hurt the brain at once, “if the trauma is prolonged, extreme or repetitive, it can physically injure the brain” (Howard & Crandall, page 14). In the process of damaging the brain, there will be damages done to the automatic system as well, including disturbances in sleep, such as dreams or nightmares.

One way fear can be a destructive emotion is it can make you less logical. “the beast was on it’s knees in the center, It’s arms folded over it’s face” (Golding 152-153). This shows fear is a destructive emotion because they are killing the beast out of their fear, which makes it first of all not right second of all it makes them more destructive. Another example of fear making people less logical is when in the book “Lord of the

The hippocampus is the portion of the forebrain that in a part of the formation of long-term memories. The amygdala controls the intensity of emotional memories and is also involved in our emotional learning. They differ in function because the hippocampus is involved in the development of our long-term memories but the amygdala controls how strong our emotional memories are to us.

A key function of the amygdala is memory. Research confirms that due to the complexity of the human mind that often times memories and life experiences merge together as one, ergo creating a sense

Review on How the Amygdala’s Emotional Function can Affect Sufferers of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

The limbic system was first recognized due to Franz Josef Gall (LeDoux, J., 1996). Franz Joseph Gall developed the idea of “phrenology” that focused on the study of the different variations of bumps on the human skull to be related to differences in behavioral and emotional functioning. The limbic system’s main function in the brain is to control emotional behaviors and certain forms of memories that are infused with emotion (amygdala). The amygdala is a part of the brain that forms the tail end of the basal ganglia within the rostral temporal lobe and is located near the hippocampus (Lambert, K.G. & Kinsley, C .H., 2005). The amygdala, as defined by the text, is an almond-shaped structure that functions as a part of the limbic system involved in regulation of emotion and sexual urges (Lambert, K.G. & Kinsley, C .H., 2005). In addition, the amygdala is comprised of a dozen or more sub regions that are not all involved in fear conditioning (LeDoux, J., 1996).

Each individual piece has its own job, that not only controls our emotional being but also mental functions like learning and formation of memories. The amygdala controls the emotion center of the brain. The hypothalamus and thalamus are related with changes in emotional reactivity. The hippocampus plays the essential role of forming new memories about past experiences. The basal ganglia is a group of nuclei lying deep in the subcortical white matter of the frontal lobes that arrange motor behavior and coordinate rule-based, habit learning. The cingulate gyrus coordinates sights and smells with pleasant memories, regulates aggressive behavior, and induces emotional reactions to

The importance of the amygdala in social cognitions has been examined in both primate and human studies. Use of primates to study the social brain suggests that the amygdala contributes to social cognition. Kluver and Bucy made large bilateral lesions in monkey brains made across the amygdala, temporal neocortex, and surrounding structure. After the lesion, the animals engaged in hypersexual behaviors, unusual tameness, and a lack of knowledge about emotional stimuli. Lesions exclusively targeting the monkey’s amygdala resulted in similar, but more subtle impairments. This suggest that the amygdala may play a role in emotions elicited by social cues. Studies of the amygdala’s role in human social cognition suggest that the temporal lobes process socially relevant facial information from humans. Emotions from facial expressions, in particular fear are projected to the amygdala. Studies using FMRI to examine typical subjects and subjects with amygdala damage support this theory. Individuals with amygdala damage have difficulty recognizing facial expressions, specifically negative emotions such as fear.

When a person is faced with a stressor, stress hormones are secreted by the brain. In over a short period of time, these can enhance a person ability to think clearly. However, long-term stress can cause the atrophy and retraction of neurons in the hippocampus. Even if the hippocampus can form new neurons, stress can inhibit their production. People who have experienced extreme stress, such as massive long-term depression, abuse or war, often suffer from memory loss resulting from the permanent damage of the hippocampus. (Ruenzel, 2003)