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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 29, 2026

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Emotional Autobiographical Recollection

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Emotional Autobiographical Recollection

Published on: August 26, 2011

Emotions, the amygdala, and the right hemisphere.

Guido Gainotti¹

¹Institute of Neurology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli, Largo A. Gemelli, 8 00168 Roma, Italy.

|June 27, 2026

Summary

This review integrates the amygdala, emotions, and the right hemisphere into a unified model. It proposes that right-hemisphere lateralization of the emotional system evolved to prevent conflicts with the cognitive system, particularly language.

Keywords:

Amygdala Right hemisphere Subcortical pathway Threatening emotions Unconscious processing

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Last Updated: Jun 29, 2026

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Emotional Autobiographical Recollection

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Published on: August 26, 2011

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Memory-Enhancing Effect of Emotion

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Psychology
Emotion Research

Background:

The relationship between the amygdala, emotions (like fear), and the right hemisphere lacks integration into a general model.
Emotions can be viewed as a primitive adaptive system distinct from the cognitive system.

Purpose of the Study:

To integrate the roles of the amygdala, emotions, and the right hemisphere within a comprehensive model.
To analyze the amygdala's subcortical pathway for rapid threat detection and its role in emotional processing.

Main Methods:

Review of existing literature on the amygdala, emotional processing, and brain lateralization.
Analysis of the subcortical pathway's function and its lateralization in humans versus animals.
Application of the 'crowding model' to explain brain lateralization and inter-system conflicts.

Main Results:

The amygdala's subcortical pathway detects threats via unconscious processing, lateralized to the right hemisphere in humans.
Right-hemisphere dominance in emotion processing and unconscious modalities contrasts with left-hemisphere language functions.
Brain lateralization, particularly the right hemisphere's role in emotion, may prevent conflicts with cognitive systems like language.

Conclusions:

The right hemisphere's specialization for emotion and unconscious processing, alongside the left hemisphere's language functions, supports the 'crowding model'.
This lateralization likely evolved to manage competing cognitive and emotional systems, optimizing decision-making.
A unified model incorporating the amygdala, emotions, and right hemisphere offers new insights into brain function and emotional regulation.