Derived from the Greek for almond, the amygdala sits in the brain's medial temporal lobe, a few inches from either ear. Coursing through the amygdala are nerves connecting it to a number of important brain centers, including the neocortex and visual cortex. "More and more we're beginning to believe, and the evidence is pointing to the idea, that it's the circuits that are important, not just the structure per se," says Ned Kalin, professor of psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison. "And in this particular case the circuitry between the frontal cortical regions of the brain may be critical in regulating emotion and in guiding emotion-related behaviors."
Investigations detailing the amygdala's role date back more than 60 years. H. Kluver and P.C. Bucy reported that amygdala lesions transformed feral rhesus monkeys into tame ones.1 But these lesions were so large and, compared to today's techniques, so crude, that researchers weren't sure of ...
