Yuasa Shigeki
Department of Ultrastructural Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1 Ogawahigashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan.
Brain Nerve. 2009 Dec;61(12):1395-404.
Sensory information of various modalities is integrated in the amygdala, where the emotional information is subsequently generated. The resultant emotional information is then sent to the widespread cortical and subcortical areas. This output to the cortex is directed to the prefrontal cortex and the medial temporal lobe, a memory system, and modulates the higher cortical functions as well as the learning and memory. The output to the subcortical structures is directed to the hypothalamus and brainstem, and the autonomic, hormonal and behavioral responses are elicited as the expression of the emotional response. Taking into account the above mentioned emotional system, the examination of somatotopic representation in the amygdala and related structures is very difficult. However, recent studies have elucidated the somatotopic representation of the amygdalar output system in the brain of rhesus monkey. The lateral basal nucleus of the monkey amygdala was proved to project to the cingulate motor cortex M3, and the target cortical neurons project somatotopically to the facial nucleus in the brain stem. Accordingly, the amygdala-cingulate cortex-facial nucleus system is involved in the emotional expression by the facial movement. This system might be involved in the pathophysiology of temporal lobe epilepsy and the facial expression of patients with Parkinson disease. Furthermore, the amygdala-cingulate cortex projection develops from adolescence to adulthood and reflects the emotional maturation and the development of social adaptation.
各种感觉模态的感觉信息在杏仁核中整合，随后在杏仁核中产生情绪信息。然后，产生的情绪信息被发送到广泛的皮质和皮质下区域。这种向皮质的输出指向额叶前皮质和内侧颞叶（一个记忆系统），并调节高级皮质功能以及学习和记忆。向皮质下结构的输出指向下丘脑和脑干，并引发自主、激素和行为反应，作为情绪反应的表达。考虑到上述情绪系统，研究杏仁核及相关结构中的躯体定位表征非常困难。然而，最近的研究已经阐明了恒河猴大脑中杏仁核输出系统的躯体定位表征。已证实猴子杏仁核的外侧基底核投射到扣带回运动皮质M3，并且目标皮质神经元以躯体定位的方式投射到脑干中的面神经核。因此，杏仁核 - 扣带回皮质 - 面神经核系统参与通过面部运动进行的情绪表达。该系统可能参与颞叶癫痫的病理生理学以及帕金森病患者的面部表情。此外，杏仁核 - 扣带回皮质投射从青春期到成年期发展，并反映情绪成熟和社会适应的发展。
