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Abstract:
Abstract: The human amygdala is known to be important in the
recognition of emotional and social information. We showed two
amygdala-lesioned subjects movies designed to elicit attributions
of psychological state, including emotion. Subject SM046 has
complete, selective, bilateral amygdala damage. We previously
reported that she described a 90-second movie of animated geometric
objects in abnormally non-social terms (normal subjects reliably
describe it using multiple anthropomorphic expressions). We
followed up this finding using two new batteries of shorter movies,
the first consisting of one abstract object moving on a white
background, and the second of point-light displays of biological
motion. Responses were chosen from a list of five basic emotions
(Happy, Sad, Afraid, Angry, Neutral). Her performance on the
abstract movies was similar to matched normal controls, except that
she tended to label fewer movies Neutral and more Happy. When
rating point-light movies, she rated fewer movies Afraid and
Neutral, but more Sad. Subject RH1951 has complete, nonselective,
bilateral amygdala damage. RH1951 was not different from matched
controls on numbers of social expressions in his description of the
longer movie. However, his ratings of both shorter abstract object
movies and of point-light human movement showed fewer negative and
more positive responses. These results extend previous findings of
positivity biases and impairments in negative emotion recognition
consequent to amygdala damage.
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