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Ex Vivo Optogenetic Dissection of Fear Circuits in Brain Slices
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The amygdala: securing pleasure and avoiding pain.

Anushka B P Fernando1, Jennifer E Murray1, Amy L Milton1

  • 1Department of Psychology, Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge Cambridge, UK.

Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience
|December 25, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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The amygdala

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Behavioral Neuroscience

Background:

  • The amygdala is traditionally linked to fear processing and its influence on memory.
  • This view is limited, as the amygdala also plays a crucial role in motivational circuitry.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the amygdala's interactions with cortical and striatal regions involved in motivation.
  • To review evidence on how the amygdala associates neutral stimuli with appetitive or aversive outcomes.
  • To examine the neurobiological dissociation of various psychological processes mediated by the amygdala.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent research on amygdala function and circuitry.
  • Analysis of studies on Pavlovian conditioning and its neural underpinnings.
Keywords:
amygdalaappetitive and aversive conditioningcorticostriatal pathwaymemorypavlovian

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Last Updated: May 4, 2026

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  • Examination of neurobiological evidence for dissociable circuits within the limbic corticostriatal system.

    • Main Results:

    • The amygdala's role extends beyond fear to include processing appetitive stimuli.
    • It forms memories linking neutral cues to motivationally relevant outcomes (both positive and negative).
    • Psychological processes like conditioned reinforcement, motivation, and approach/avoidance behaviors are neurobiologically distinct yet interconnected within the amygdala's circuitry.

    Conclusions:

    • The amygdala's function is broader than previously thought, encompassing both fear and reward processing.
    • It is a key structure in the limbic corticostriatal circuitry, mediating diverse motivational behaviors.
    • Understanding these complex circuits is crucial for a comprehensive view of amygdala function.