Role of the amygdala

Proactive aggression

Deliberate and goal-oriented form of aggression, often premeditated (thought out and planned) used to achieve a specific outcome.

Reactive aggression

Impulsive retaliation often accompanied with physical arousal

Where is amygdala located?

The amygdala is located in the medial temporal (side) lobe of the brain, near the hippocampus.

Part of the wider collection of brain structures called limbic system

Two amygdalae per person

Structure of amygdala?

Made up of grey matter, a collection of neuron cell bodies densly packed together

Whats the function of amygdala?

The amygdala is responsible for processing emotions, particularly fear and pleasure (emotion centre of the brain)

Role of processing and consolidating memory formation.

What is the limbic system?

Emotional functions

Learning, formation of memories

• Amygdala

• Hippocampus

• Thalamus

• Hypothalamus

• Basal ganglia

• Pineal gland

• Cingulate gyrus

• Cerebellum (PFC)

What is the role of fear?

Helps self-preservation and survival by triggering a fight-or-flight response, enabling individuals to react to threats.

Amygdalla is highly interconnected, neurally linked to these brain areas, therefore a widesspread influence on brain functioning and behaviours associated with emotion.

How is the amygdala linked to criminal behaviour?

The amygdala is thought to play a major role in how we assess and respond to environmental threats, hence its importance in determining aggressive behaviours. (Papez 1937)

If there are any strucural problems with the amygdala, it can cause

Emil Coccaro et al (2007) - amygdala and aggression

Focused on Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED), a psychiatric condition characterized by recurrent impulsive aggression. They identified that individuals with IED exhibited high levels of amygdala activity when they viewed angry faces (threat) whilst having an fMRI scan.

Findings demonstrate an association between amygdala activity and processing of aggressive emotions