Description
Book SynopsisBuilding on pioneering animal studies, and making use of new, noninvasive techniques for studying the human brain, research on the human amygdala has blossomed in recent years. This comprehensive volume brings together leading authorities to synthesize current knowledge on the amygdala and its role in psychological function and dysfunction. Initial chapters discuss how animal models have paved the way for work with human subjects. Next, the book examines the amygdala's involvement in emotional processing, learning, memory, and social interaction. The final section presents key advances in understanding specific clinical disorders: anxiety disorders, depression, schizophrenia, autism, and Alzheimer's disease. Illustrations include 39 color plates.
Trade ReviewWhen discussing the role of the amygdala in the brain, some have said that 'all roads lead to Rome.' This volume sheds new light on the important role that this small, almond-shaped region plays in normal processes--such as fear, positive reinforcement, memory, and social interactions--and in mental disorders. The text is consistently informed by the latest findings from imaging, animal, and genetic work. Any student of the brain and behavior will definitely enjoy this authoritative yet accessible book.--Mark S. George, MD, Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry, Radiology, and Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina
This superbly edited volume captures the exciting progress in understanding the human amygdala that has occurred over the past decade, with the aid of new developments in brain imaging technology and genomics. The book represents one of the first successful attempts to integrate ideas and findings from basic neuroscience with evidence on social and emotional functioning. It will interest a wide audience of researchers and trainees.--Trevor W. Robbins, PhD, FRS, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, UK
The field's leading authorities provide state-of-the-art coverage of amygdala function and dysfunction. This well-conceived volume is a tour de force that should be considered essential reading for any neuroscientist interested in behavior and any behavioral scientist interested in brain function. Chapters will be of interest to experts but are also accessible enough for use in advanced seminars and graduate courses.--John T. Cacioppo, PhD, Director, Center for Cognitive and Social Neuroscience, University of Chicago
- This book consists of 18 chapters on various aspects of the amygdala written by leading researchers in the field. This volume is a valuable resource for updating one's knowledge regarding the important role the amygdala and its subdivisions play in normal and abnormal emotional functioning....The book provides the reader with a better understanding of the complexity of the structure of the amygdaloid complex and its many cortical and subcortical connections. It provides the reader with an appreciation for the multiple ways that the amygdala, in health and disease, can affect emotional/behavioral functioning....Because the amygdala plays an important role in various aspects of emotional functioning and because there is now a large and growing body of both animal and human research on amygdala-behavior relationships, 'every neuropsychologist should be a student of the amygdala.' The breadth and depth of the research on the amygdala covered in this book by experts in the field makes it the best current reference on the human amygdala and an excellent way to stimulate thinking about the role emotion plays in human behavior including its effects on everyday cognitive functioning. --Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 2/5/2009ƒƒ A fascinating read that explores contemporary understanding of the scientific and clinical role of the amygdala in attention, perception, emotion, learning, memory, decision making, motivation, mood, social functioning, fear conditioning, and psychopathology....I highly recommend this book to neuropsychologists; social, clinical, humanistic, and biological psychologists; psychiatrists; and graduate students in these fields. --PsycCRITIQUES, 2/5/2009
Table of ContentsI. From Animal Models to Human Amygdala Function
1. Neuroanatomy of the Primate Amygdala, Jennifer Freese and David G. Amaral
2. The Human Amygdala: Insights from Other Animals, Joseph E. LeDoux and Daniela Schiller
3. Measurement of Fear Inhibition in Rats, Monkeys, and Humans with or without Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Using the AX+, BX–Paradigm, Karyn M. Myers, Donna J. Toufexis, James T. Winslow, Tanja Jovanovic, Seth D. Norrholm, Erica J. Duncan, and Michael Davis
4. Amygdala Function in Positive Reinforcement: Contributions from Studies of Nonhuman Primates, Elisabeth A. Murray, Alicia Izquierdo, and Ludise Malkova
II. Human Amygdala Function
5. A Developmental Perspective on Human Amygdala Function, Nim Tottenham, Todd A. Hare, and B. J. Casey
6. Human Fear Conditioning and the Amygdala, Arne Öhman
7. Methodological Approaches to Studying the Human Amygdala, Kevin S. LaBar and Lauren H. Warren
8. The Human Amygdala and Memory, Stephan Hamann
9. The Human Amygdala and the Control of Fear, Elizabeth A. Phelps
10. The Role of the Human Amygdala in Perception and Attention, Patrik Vuilleumier
11. Individual Differences in Human Amygdala Function, Turhan Canli
12. Human Amygdala Responses to Facial Expressions of Emotion, Paul J. Whalen, F. Caroline Davis, Jonathan A. Oler, Hackjin Kim, M. Justin Kim, and Maital Neta
13. The Human Amygdala in Social Function, Tony W. Buchanan, Daniel Tranel, and Ralph Adolphs
III. Human Amygdala Dysfunction
14. The Human Amygdala in Anxiety Disorders, Lisa M. Shin, Scott L. Rauch, Roger K. Pitman, and Paul J. Whalen
15. The Human Amygdala in Schizophrenia, Daphne J. Holt and Mary L. Phillips
16. The Human Amygdala in Autism, Cynthia Mills Schumann and David G. Amaral
17. The Human Amygdala in Normal Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease, Christopher I. Wright
18. The Genetic Basis of Human Amygdala Reactivity, Ahmad R. Hariri and Daniel R. Weinberger
