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The Neural Bases of Emotions

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Neurosciences - From Molecule to Behavior: a university textbook

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Abstract

The term “emotion” is understood intuitively but is difficult to define, and currently there is no real consensus in the literature as to its meaning. It is commonly described as a mental state, associated with bodily changes, which arise spontaneously but are consciously felt. Thus, emotions can encompass a wide range of personal states accompanied by a number of observable behaviors and physiological changes. Great progress in the understanding of the neural bases for emotion has been made in the past decades. However, several fundamental questions related to emotions and the processing of emotional information remain unanswered. The field of affective neuroscience addresses these questions by investigating how emotions and mood are represented in the brain. Currently research interests lie in delineating which neural structures and networks are required for emotional responses, and further identifying the molecular mechanisms acting in these brain areas. Other important questions include how emotional events are learned and stored, and how changes in the functioning of the mechanisms and networks engaged during emotional processing lead to mood disorders such as depression and anxiety disorders. This chapter will address past and present theories on the question of “What is emotion?” and will outline our current understanding of the neural mechanisms involved in emotional processing.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. European Molecular Biology Laboratory Monterotondo, Via Ramarini 32, Monterotondo, IT-00015, Rome, Italy

    Tamara B. Franklin

  2. Brain Research Institute, Medical Faculty of the University Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland

    Isabelle M. Mansuy

  3. Department of Health Sciences and Technology of the ETH Zürich, Neuroscience Center Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zürich, Switzerland

    Isabelle M. Mansuy

Authors
  1. Tamara B. Franklin
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  2. Isabelle M. Mansuy
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Correspondence to Tamara B. Franklin .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Department of Neurobiology, Universität Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, Konstanz, 78457, Germany

    C. Giovanni Galizia

  2. Labo. Perception et Mémoire, Institut Pasteur, rue du Dr. Roux 25, Paris CX 15, 75724, France

    Pierre-Marie Lledo

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Franklin, T.B., Mansuy, I.M. (2013). The Neural Bases of Emotions. In: Galizia, C., Lledo, PM. (eds) Neurosciences - From Molecule to Behavior: a university textbook. Springer Spektrum, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-10769-6_24

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