Human emotion and memory: interactions of the amygdala and hippocampal complex

The amygdala and hippocampal complex, two medial temporal lobe structures, are linked to two independent memory systems, each with unique characteristic functions. In emotional situations, these two systems interact in subtle but important ways. Specifically, the amygdala can modulate both the encod...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Current opinion in neurobiology 2004-04, Vol.14 (2), p.198-202
Main Author: Phelps, Elizabeth A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amygdala - anatomy & histology
Amygdala - physiology
Brain Mapping
Emotions - physiology
Functional Laterality - physiology
Hippocampus - anatomy & histology
Hippocampus - physiology
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Memory - physiology
Neural Pathways - anatomy & histology
Neural Pathways - physiology
Sex Characteristics
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Summary:The amygdala and hippocampal complex, two medial temporal lobe structures, are linked to two independent memory systems, each with unique characteristic functions. In emotional situations, these two systems interact in subtle but important ways. Specifically, the amygdala can modulate both the encoding and the storage of hippocampal-dependent memories. The hippocampal complex, by forming episodic representations of the emotional significance and interpretation of events, can influence the amygdala response when emotional stimuli are encountered. Although these are independent memory systems, they act in concert when emotion meets memory.
ISSN:0959-4388
1873-6882
DOI:10.1016/j.conb.2004.03.015