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The amygdala, autism and anxiety
David G Amaral1, Blythe A Corbett
1Department of Psychiatry, Center for Neuroscience, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
Novartis Foundation Symposium
|October 3, 2003
Summary
The amygdala may not be central to autism
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Social Cognition
- Autism Research
Background:
- The amygdala's role in social cognition has been proposed.
- Neuropathology in the autistic amygdala suggests a link to social deficits.
- Prior research links amygdala dysfunction to impaired social functioning in autism.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the amygdala's role in social behavior.
- To re-evaluate the amygdala's contribution to autism-related social impairments.
Main Methods:
- Studied the effects of amygdala lesions in macaque monkeys.
- Examined responses to fear-inducing stimuli and novel social interactions.
Main Results:
- Amygdala lesions did not impair fundamental social behavior in monkeys.
- Damage to the amygdala affected responses to fear stimuli and novel social engagement.
- Bilateral amygdala damage in humans did not preclude normal social behavior.
Conclusions:
- The amygdala is likely crucial for threat detection and fear responses, not core social behavior.
- Amygdala pathology in autism may explain abnormal fears and anxiety, not social deficits.