Emotions

LIMBIC SYSTEM
 Components
 Amygdaloid body
 Hippocampus (“seahorse”)
 Cingulate gyrus
 Parahippocampal gyrus
 Mamillary bodies

Related parts:
 Anterior nucleus of thalamus
 Hypothalamus
 Functions
 Emotional brain
Emotional and motivational aspects of
behavior.
Provides emotional component to learning
process (amygdala)
 Associated with memory (hippocampus)
 Associated with pain/pleasure, rage
 Amygdala
 Large nuclear group in temporal lobe.
 Afferents:

Olfactory tract
Solitary nucleus
Limbic neocortex:
-Cingulate gyrus
-Parahippocampal gyrus
 Regions of the Amygdala
 Large basolateral region:
Provides direct input to basal ganglia and
motor system.
 Small corticomedial group of nuclei:
Related to olfactory cortex.
 Medial and central nuclei:
Connected to hypothalamus.
 Amygdala Connections
Hypothalamus
Cerebral cortex
Cingulate gyrus
Olfactory system
Hippocampus
Thalamus
Etc
Brainstem reticular formation

AMYGDALA
 Amygdala inputs
Olfactory
System AMYGDALA
Corticomedial Nuclear
Temporal Lobe Group
(associated with visual,
Basolateral Nuclear
auditory, tactile senses)
Group
Central Nucleus
Brainstem (viscerosensory relay
Nuclei: solitary nucleus

Ventral
Amygdalofugal
Fibers
 Amygdala outputs
Stria Terminalis
Septal Nuclei
Hypothalamus
AMYGDALA
Corticomedial Nuclear
Group Dorsal Medial Thalamic Nucleus
Nucleus Accumbens
Basolateral Nuclear Hypothalamus
Group
Central Nucleus

Nuclei of
ANS
 Functions of the Amygdala
 Relate environmental stimuli to
coordinated behavioral autonomic and
endocrine responses
 Responses include:
Feeding and drinking
Agnostic (fighting) behavior
Mating and maternal care
Responses to physical or emotional stresses.
Limbic System and Basal Nuclei
Anterior Cingulate Gyrus
Orbitofrontal Areas (10, 11)

Medial and lateral temporal lobe

Ventral Striatum
Hippocampus
(nucleus accumbens)
Amygdala
Caudate Nucleus
Entorhinal cortex (24)
(head)

Ventral Pallidum
Medial Globus Pallidus Ventral Anterior Nucleus
Pars Reticularis Dorsomedial Nucleus
(Substantia nigra)
Hippocampus
 Lesions of limbic system
 Voracious appetite
 Increased (perverse) sexual activity
 Docility:
Loss of normal fear/anger response
 Memory loss:
Damage to hippocampus portion:
Cells undergoing calcium-induced changes
associated with memory