‘Fear learning’ is also an element of the amygdala.įearful memories can be formed after only a few repetitions, which can result in avoidance of certain fearful stimuli.
It has a role in how memorable memories can be – memories with strong emotional components tend to stick rather than those with little emotional content. The amygdala interacts with the hippocampus by attaching emotional content to memories. This area is also key for the formation of new memories. The main function of the amygdala is in emotional responses, including feelings of happiness, fear, anger, and anxiety. The amygdala is an almond-shaped structure located right next to the hippocampus. As there is less complexity of the cells within the limbic system, this has led people to believe that this system is evolutionarily older than the cerebral cortex itself. Within the limbic system, the cells are either arranged in fewer layers or are more jumbled. In the cerebral cortex, the cells are primarily neocortical, meaning they are formed into six layers.
The nerve cells (neurons) within the limbic system are structured differently from those in the cerebral cortex. There are differing opinions on which other structures are included in the system and which only interact closely with it. There are two widely accepted structures of the limbic system: the hippocampus and the amygdala. The limbic system is thought to be an important element in the body’s response to stress, being highly connected to the endocrine and autonomic nervous systems.
These structures are known to be involved in the processing and regulating of emotions, the formation and storage of memories, sexual arousal, and learning. Psychologists now recognize that the limbic system serves a lot more functions than previously believed. The limbic system was originally called the rhinencephalon (meaning ‘smell brain’) because it was thought to be primarily involved with the sense of smell.
The limbic system is located within the cerebrum of the brain, immediately below the temporal lobes, and buried under the cerebral cortex (the cortex is the outermost part of the brain). The limbic system is a collection of structures involved in processing emotion and memory, including the hippocampus, the amygdala, and the hypothalamus.
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