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Encyclopedia of Pain pp 67–72Cite as

Amygdala, Functional Imaging

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Synonyms

Positron emission tomography (PET); functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

Definition

The amygdala is an essential key structure in the cerebral limbic network underlying emotion processing. As such, it is suggested to be part of the brain circuit involved in the processing of pain, which is known to include strong affective components. Neuroimaging studies pointing to amygdala involvement during pain processing are currently increasing. The amygdala is a small almond shape structure in the anterior temporal lobe with a variety of functions for emotion processing together with learning and memory. It is supposed to execute an evaluative associative function, combining external cues with internal responses, thereby assessing and defining the valence, relevance and significance of stimuli. It is its extensive connectivity with various cortical and subcortical areas that enables fast automatic, but also more conscious deliberate, responses. Its role in pain processing is...

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. RWTH Aachen University, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Aachen, Germany

    Ute Habel & Frank Schneider

Authors
  1. Ute Habel
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  2. Frank Schneider
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Physiological Institute, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany

    Robert F. Schmidt

  2. Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA

    William D. Willis

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© 2007 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Habel, U., Schneider, F. (2007). Amygdala, Functional Imaging. In: Schmidt, R., Willis, W. (eds) Encyclopedia of Pain. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-29805-2_190

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-29805-2_190

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-43957-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-29805-2

  • eBook Packages: MedicineReference Module Medicine

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