Abstract
A number of recent studies indicate that the amygdala is involved in affectively toned stimulus-reward associations, especially during classical conditioning. In previous publications a neural network model, EMNET (Evaluative Map NETwork) has been presented by this author which carries out stimulus-reinforcer computations by constructing an “evaluative map” of the environment [1,2,3]. EMNET, which is based on the idea that neurons may implement n-tuples [4], successfully captures a wide range of conditioning phenomena. Here, the strong similarities between EMNET and the amygdala are expounded, particularly the notion that the amygdala computes stimulus value. Interestingly, its simulated behaviour following “lesions” is interpreted as showing some resemblance to the pattern of behaviour observed in humans with severe amygdala damage.
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Fulcher, E.P. (1995). The Construction of Evaluative Maps: Affective Computations in the Amygdala. In: Kappen, B., Gielen, S. (eds) Neural Networks: Artificial Intelligence and Industrial Applications. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-3087-1_19
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-3087-1_19
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