Dissociation of affective modulation of recollective and perceptual experience following amygdala damage

• Published in: Journal of neurology, neurosurgery and psychiatry neurosurgery and psychiatry, 2003-02, Vol.74 (2), p.253-254
• Main Authors: Papps, B P, Calder, A J, Young, A W, O’Carroll, R E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: AAVLT; affect; Affect - physiology; affective auditory verbal learning test; amygdala; Amygdala (Brain); Amygdala - physiopathology; Amygdala - surgery; Biological and medical sciences; Brain Damage, Chronic - diagnosis; Brain Damage, Chronic - physiopathology; Brain Damage, Chronic - psychology; California verbal learning test; CVLT; Disorders of higher nervous function. Focal brain diseases. Central vestibular syndrome and deafness. Brain stem syndromes; Emotions; Epilepsies, Partial - surgery; Fear; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Injuries; Investigations; Medical sciences; Memory; Memory, Short-Term - physiology; Mental Recall - physiology; Middle Aged; Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes); Neurology; Neuropsychological Tests; Pattern Recognition, Visual - physiology; Perceptual Disorders - diagnosis; Perceptual Disorders - physiopathology; Perceptual Disorders - psychology; Postoperative Complications - diagnosis; Postoperative Complications - physiopathology; Postoperative Complications - psychology; Retention (Psychology) - physiology; Semantics; Short Report; Speech Perception - physiology; Stereotaxic Techniques; Verbal learning; Verbal Learning - physiology
• ISSN: 0022-3050; 1468-330X
• DOI: 10.1136/jnnp.74.2.253

It has been suggested that similar neural mechanisms may underlie the affective modulation of both recollective and perceptual experience. A case is reported of a patient who has bilateral amygdala damage and marked impairment in the perception of emotion, particularly fear. The patient DR and 10 healthy control subjects (matched for school leaving age, intelligence quotient, and non-emotional memory performance) were shown a series of slides accompanied by an emotionally arousing narrative. One week later DR and the controls were given a surprise memory test for this material. In addition, they completed a verbal memory test using emotionally arousing stimuli. Both DR and the healthy control subjects showed a normative pattern of enhanced memory for emotional material. On the basis of these results and the previously demonstrated impairment of perception of emotion in this patient, it is concluded that different neural mechanisms may underlie affective modulation of recollective and perceptual experience.