Journal Article

PreJuSER-22877

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png Fear Processing and Social Networking in the Absence of a Functional Amygdala

Becker, B. ; Mihov, Y. ; Scheele, D. ; Kendrick, K. M. ; Feinstein, J. S. ; Matusch, A.FZJ* ; Aydin, M. ; Reich, H. ; Urbach, H. ; Oros-Peusquens, A. M.FZJ* ; Shah, N. J.FZJ* ; Kunz, W. S. ; Schlaepfer, T. E. ; Zilles, K.FZJ* ; Maier, W. ; Hurlemann, R.

2012
Elsevier Science Amsterdam [u.a.]

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Please use a persistent id in citations: doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2011.11.024

Abstract: The human amygdala plays a crucial role in processing social signals, such as face expressions, particularly fearful ones, and facilitates responses to them in face-sensitive cortical regions. This contributes to social competence and individual amygdala size correlates with that of social networks. While rare patients with focal bilateral amygdala lesion typically show impaired recognition of fearful faces, this deficit is variable, and an intriguing possibility is that other brain regions can compensate to support fear and social signal processing.To investigate the brain's functional compensation of selective bilateral amygdala damage, we performed a series of behavioral, psychophysiological, and functional magnetic resonance imaging experiments in two adult female monozygotic twins (patient 1 and patient 2) with equivalent, extensive bilateral amygdala pathology as a sequela of lipoid proteinosis due to Urbach-Wiethe disease.Patient 1, but not patient 2, showed preserved recognition of fearful faces, intact modulation of acoustic startle responses by fear-eliciting scenes, and a normal-sized social network. Functional magnetic resonance imaging revealed that patient 1 showed potentiated responses to fearful faces in her left premotor cortex face area and bilaterally in the inferior parietal lobule.The premotor cortex face area and inferior parietal lobule are both implicated in the cortical mirror-neuron system, which mediates learning of observed actions and may thereby promote both imitation and empathy. Taken together, our findings suggest that despite the pre-eminent role of the amygdala in processing social information, the cortical mirror-neuron system may sometimes adaptively compensate for its pathology.

Keyword(s): Adolescent (MeSH) ; Amygdala: physiopathology (MeSH) ; Brain: physiopathology (MeSH) ; Brain Mapping: methods (MeSH) ; Echo-Planar Imaging: methods (MeSH) ; Facial Expression (MeSH) ; Fear: psychology (MeSH) ; Female (MeSH) ; Humans (MeSH) ; Lipoid Proteinosis of Urbach and Wiethe: physiopathology (MeSH) ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging: methods (MeSH) ; Mental Processes (MeSH) ; Recognition (Psychology) (MeSH) ; Social Behavior (MeSH) ; Startle Reaction (MeSH) ; Twins, Monozygotic: psychology (MeSH) ; J ; Acoustic startle reflex (auto) ; amygdala lesion (auto) ; compensation (auto) ; emotion (auto) ; face (auto) ; fear (auto) ; fMRI (auto) ; mirror-neuron system (auto) ; social network (auto)

Note: RH was supported by a German Research Foundation (DFG) Grant (HU1302/2-2) and by a Starting Independent Researcher Grant (NEMO-Neuromodulation of Emotion) jointly provided by the Ministry of Innovation, Science, Research, and Technology of the German State of North Rhine-Westphalia and the University of Bonn. RH is senior author.

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Contributing Institute(s):

1. Physik der Medizinischen Bildgebung (INM-4)
2. Molekulare Organisation des Gehirns (INM-2)

Research Program(s):

1. Funktion und Dysfunktion des Nervensystems (FUEK409) (FUEK409)
2. 89573 - Neuroimaging (POF2-89573) (POF2-89573)

Appears in the scientific report 2012

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Database coverage:
; BIOSIS Previews ; Current Contents - Life Sciences ; JCR ; NCBI Molecular Biology Database ; Nationallizenz ; SCOPUS ; Science Citation Index ; Science Citation Index Expanded ; Thomson Reuters Master Journal List ; Web of Science Core Collection

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