AMYGDALA

Pronunciation (US): (GB):

Irregular inflected form: amygdalae

I. (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An almond-shaped neural structure in the anterior part of the temporal lobe of the cerebrum; intimately connected with the hypothalamus and the hippocampus and the cingulate gyrus; as part of the limbic system it plays an important role in motivation and emotional behavior

Synonyms:

amygdala; amygdaloid nucleus; corpus amygdaloideum

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Hypernyms ("amygdala" is a kind of...):

basal ganglion (any of several masses of subcortical grey matter at the base of each cerebral hemisphere that seem to be involved in the regulation of voluntary movement)

Holonyms ("amygdala" is a part of...):

temporal cortex; temporal lobe (that part of the cerebral cortex in either hemisphere of the brain lying inside the temples of the head)

limbic brain; limbic system; visceral brain (a system of functionally related neural structures in the brain that are involved in emotional behavior)

Credits

Context examples:

In the new study, researchers looked at the extended amygdala, a brain region involved in fear, arousal, and emotional processing and which plays a significant role in drug and alcohol addiction.

(Researchers identify key brain circuits for reward-seeking and avoidance behavior, National Institutes of Health)

Within these studies, MRI scans measured each participant's overall brain volume plus the volume of seven brain regions thought to be linked to ADHD: the pallidum, thalamus, caudate nucleus, putamen, nucleus accumbens, amygdala and hippocampus.

(Brains of Those with ADHD Show Smaller Structures Related to Emotion, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

During the study, the researchers intentionally damage the three main nuclei of the amygdala to determine which region is responsible for the acquisition of conditioned taste aversion (CTA).

(Researchers identify area of the amygdala involved in taste aversion, University of Granada)

Based on their findings, the scientists created the first computer model of the amygdala’s neural circuits involved in social cognition.

(‘Mindreading’ neurons simulate decisions of social partners, University of Cambridge)

One further region – the amygdala, which is responsible for emotional responses – was particularly active when participants rejected gifts from the human-like, but not human, artificial agents.

(Scientists identify possible source of the ‘Uncanny Valley’ in the brain, University of Cambridge)

Not only that, researchers saw the highest amygdala activity in those who experienced the cardiovascular events sooner than those with lower amygdala activity.

(Biological Link Found Between Stress, Heart Disease, VOA)

Gut microbes seem to influence miRNAs in the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex.

(New Light on Link between Gut Bacteria, Anxiety, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

The system excited two different sets of neurons, both located in the amygdala, which is the part of the brain associated with emotion and aggression.

(Geneticists produce laser-activated killer mice, Wikinews)

They focused on a part of this structure known as the bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNST), which connects the extended amygdala to the hypothalamus, a brain region that regulates sleep, appetite, and body temperature.