Functions of the amygdala and related forebrain areas in attention and cognition

This paper will concentrate on two features of the systems described by Alheid and Heimer that have influenced research in our laboratory in recent years. In the first part, we describe our findings on a representational function of the amygdaloid basolateral complex that appears to depend on its interconnections with the prefrontal cortex. In the second part, we describe progress assessing the function of magnocellular corticopetal neurons within the basal forebrain and the strong input to this system from the central amygdaloid group. These lines of behavioral research have revealed that sub-systems in the basal forebrain and amygdala serve adaptive functions beyond the domains of motivation and emotion to include attention and cognition.