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Individual Differences in Amygdala Activity Predict Response Speed during Working Memory.
- Source :
- Journal of Neuroscience; 10/4/2006, Vol. 26 Issue 40, p10120-10128, 9p, 2 Diagrams, 1 Chart, 5 Graphs
- Publication Year :
- 2006
-
Abstract
- The human amygdala has classically been viewed as a brain structure primarily related to emotions and dissociated from higher cognition. We report here findings suggesting that the human amygdala also has a role in supporting working memory (WM), a canonical higher cognitive function. In a first functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study (n = 53), individual differences in amygdala activity predicted behavioral performance in a 3-back WM task. Specifically, higher event-related amygdala amplitude predicted faster response time (RT; r = -0.64), with no loss of accuracy. This relationship was not contingent on mood state, task content, or personality variables. In a second fMRI study (n = 21), we replicated the key finding (r = -0.47) and further showed that the correlation between the amygdala and faster RT was specific to a high working memory load condition (3-back) compared with a low working memory load condition (1-back). These results support models of amygdala function that can account for its involvement not only in emotion but also higher cognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 02706474
- Volume :
- 26
- Issue :
- 40
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Journal of Neuroscience
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 22734581
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2567-06.2006