The Amygdala and how Motivation is involved!

Amygdala:

The Amygdala is a major component of the limbic system. It is located in the rostra aspect of the temporal lobe.

Major functions of this structure help regulate behavioral, visceral and affective processes that deal with the hypothalamus and the PAG in the midbrain. It is a pathway that includes the stria terminals which directly targets the medial hypothalamus from the medial Amygdala.

This structure can get damaged in seizures activity that involve the temporal lobe. I can produce olfactory hallucinations of unpleasant or unsatisfied smells.

The Amygdala is an almond shaped collection of nuclei. It is gathered deep in the temporal lobe. It is involved with many emotions and motivations that deal with survival. The Amygdala deals with processing emotions that deal with fear, anger and pressure. This structures other important job is dealing with determining what and where certain memories are stored in the brain. It is based on the size of the emotional response due to the occurring event.

The Amygdala has a thick larger known as the pyriform lobe which supports and supply’s a heavy input to the Amygdala and is functionally involved.

This structure also known as the Amygdala Complex is broken down into two components, the corticomedial group and the basolateral group. The corticomedial consists of cortical, medial, and an area of the basal nuclei which is located in the dorsal and medial view. The basolateral group consists of the lateral, central and the basal nuclei as well, except the lateral aspects is what is seen.

The Amygdala is said to be closely related to the pyriform lobe. The Amygdala has a afferent connection in which it is like the hippocampus formation, in which is receives input and information via the monoaminergic system. The afferent connection consists of the fibers sending arousal to the Amygdala and is linked to transmission of signals that deal with both olfactory (smell) and taste.

If the Amygdala is damaged for example is the Amygdala exerts potent non-balanced control over the visceral process of the hypothalamus a disease called Kluver-Bucy Syndrome can arise. Kluver-Bucy syndrome is a behavioral disorder that occurs when the right and left medial temporal lobes of the brain malfunction. The Amygdala in this case had been a damaged brain region in the pathway of the syndrome ( Heinrich Kluver and Paul Bucy).