The Amygdala, the Hippocampus, and Emotional Modulation of Memory

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

There are two views regarding the role of the amygdala in emotional memory formation. According to one view, the amygdala modulates memory-related processes in other brain regions, such as the hippocampus. According to the other, the amygdala is a site for some aspects of emotional memory. Here the authors adduce behavioral, electrophysiological, and biochemical evidence in support of an integrative view, assuming both roles for the amygdala. This integrative view, however, suggests a level of complexity not referred to before: the assumption that emotional conditions induce long-term neural plasticity in the amygdala suggests that the interrelations between the amygdala and brain regions, such as the hippocampus, may not be static but dynamic. The way the amygdala will affect memory-related processes in the hippocampus may thus largely depend on the previous history of the individual.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)31-39
Number of pages9
JournalNeuroscientist
Volume10
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2004

Keywords

  • Amygdala
  • Emotional memory
  • Long-term potentiation
  • Stress

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Neuroscience
  • Clinical Neurology

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