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Abstract:
We used fMRI to examine the amygdala response to the
evaluation and short-term recognition of unpleasant versus neutral
words in 9 healthy subjects. To establish specificity of the
amygdala response, we examined the fMRI BOLD signal in visual
cortex. Blocks of unpleasant and neutral trials were presented.
During the emotional decision task, subjects viewed unpleasant and
neutral word-triads, selecting the most unpleasant or neutral word,
respectively. During the memory task, subjects identified words
that were presented during the emotional decision task (0.50
probability). Images were detrended, filtered, and co-registered to
standard brain coordinates. Talairach coordinates for the center of
the amygdala were chosen before analysis. The BOLD signal in the
right amygdala revealed a greater amplitude signal for the
unpleasant than neutral words (Word Condition x Time Course ANOVAs)
during the emotional decision but not the memory task. Results are
consistent with the memory modulatory view of amygdala functioning,
suggesting that the amygdala facilitates long-term, but not
short-term, memory consolidation for emotional stimuli. The control
area showed only an effect for Time Course for both the emotional
decision and memory tasks, indicating the specificity of the
amygdala response.
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