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Bonnet L, Comte A, Tatu L, et al. The role of the amygdala in the perception of positive emotions: an "intensity detector". Front Behav Neurosci. 2015;9:178doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00178.
Bonnet, L., Comte, A., Tatu, L., Millot, J. L., Moulin, T., Medeiros de Bustos, E., Burch, G. F., Burch, J. J., & Heller, N. A. (2015). The role of the amygdala in the perception of positive emotions: an "intensity detector". Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience, 9178. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00178
Bonnet, Louise, et al. "The role of the amygdala in the perception of positive emotions: an "intensity detector"." Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience vol. 9 (2015): 178. doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00178
Bonnet L, Comte A, Tatu L, Millot JL, Moulin T, Medeiros de Bustos E, Burch GF, Burch JJ, Heller NA. The role of the amygdala in the perception of positive emotions: an "intensity detector". Front Behav Neurosci. 2015 Jul 07;9:178. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00178. eCollection 2015. PMID: 26217205; PMCID: PMC4493392.
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Front Behav Neurosci. 2015 Jul 07;9:178. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00178. eCollection 2015.

The role of the amygdala in the perception of positive emotions: an "intensity detector".

Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience

Louise Bonnet, Alexandre Comte, Laurent Tatu, Jean-Louis Millot, Thierry Moulin, Elisabeth Medeiros de Bustos, Burch, Burch, Heller

Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Besancon University Hospital Besancon, France ; Department of Research in Functional Imaging, CIC 808, Besancon University Hospital Besancon, France ; Laboratory of Integrative and Clinical Neuroscience, EA 481, SFR FED 4234 UFC-CHRU-EFS Besancon, France.
  2. Department of Research in Functional Imaging, CIC 808, Besancon University Hospital Besancon, France ; Laboratory of Integrative and Clinical Neuroscience, EA 481, SFR FED 4234 UFC-CHRU-EFS Besancon, France.
  3. Laboratory of Integrative and Clinical Neuroscience, EA 481, SFR FED 4234 UFC-CHRU-EFS Besancon, France.

PMID: 26217205 PMCID: PMC4493392 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00178

Abstract

The specific role of the amygdala remains controversial even though the development of functional imaging techniques has established its implication in the emotional process. The aim of this study was to highlight the sensitivity of the amygdala to emotional intensity (arousal). We conducted an analysis of the modulation of amygdala activation according to variation in emotional intensity via an fMRI event-related protocol. Monitoring of electrodermal activity, a marker of psychophysiological emotional perception and a reflection of the activation of the autonomic nervous system, was carried out concurrently. Eighteen subjects (10 men; aged from 22 to 29 years) looked at emotionally positive photographs. We demonstrated that the left and right amygdalae were sensitive to changes in emotional intensity, activating more in response to stimuli with higher intensity. Furthermore, electrodermal responses were more frequent for the most intense stimuli, demonstrating the concomitant activation of the autonomic nervous system. These results highlight the sensitivity of the amygdala to the intensity of positively valenced visual stimuli, and in conjunction with results in the literature on negative emotions, reinforce the role of the amygdala in the perception of intensity.

Keywords: IAPS; amygdala; electrodermal response; emotion; emotional intensity; fMRI

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