Amygdala activation to masked happy facial expressions

Mario F Juruena; Vincent P Giampietro; Stephen D Smith; Simon A Surguladze; Jeffrey A Dalton; Philip J Benson; Anthony J Cleare; Cynthia H Y Fu

doi:10.1017/S1355617709991172

Amygdala activation to masked happy facial expressions

Mario F Juruena, Vincent P Giampietro, Stephen D Smith, Simon A Surguladze, Jeffrey A Dalton, Philip J Benson, Anthony J Cleare, Cynthia H Y Fu

1Department of Hepatology, Imperial College London, London, UK. 2Institute of Liver Studies at King's College School of Medicine at King's College Hospital, London, UK. 3Institute of Human Health and Performance, University College London, London, UK. 4Department of Asthma Allergy and Lung Biology, King's College London, London, UK. 5Division of Critical Care Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The amygdala has a key role in automatic non-conscious processing of emotions. Highly salient emotional stimuli elicit amygdala activity, and happy faces are among the most rapidly perceived facial expressions. In backward masking paradigms, an image is presented briefly and then masked by another stimulus. However, reports of amygdala responses to masked happy faces have been mixed. In the present study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine amygdala activation to masked happy, sad, and neutral facial expressions. Masked happy faces elicited greater amygdala activation bilaterally as compared to masked sad faces. Our findings indicate that the amygdala is highly responsive to non-consciously perceived happy facial expressions.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	383-7
Number of pages	5
Journal	Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society : JINS
Volume	16
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/S1355617709991172
Publication status	Published - Mar 2010

Keywords

Adult
Affect
Amygdala/physiology
Expressed Emotion
Facial Expression
Female
Humans
Male
Perceptual Masking
Young Adult

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10.1017/S1355617709991172

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title = "Amygdala activation to masked happy facial expressions",

abstract = "The amygdala has a key role in automatic non-conscious processing of emotions. Highly salient emotional stimuli elicit amygdala activity, and happy faces are among the most rapidly perceived facial expressions. In backward masking paradigms, an image is presented briefly and then masked by another stimulus. However, reports of amygdala responses to masked happy faces have been mixed. In the present study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine amygdala activation to masked happy, sad, and neutral facial expressions. Masked happy faces elicited greater amygdala activation bilaterally as compared to masked sad faces. Our findings indicate that the amygdala is highly responsive to non-consciously perceived happy facial expressions.",

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AU - Juruena, Mario F

AU - Giampietro, Vincent P

AU - Smith, Stephen D

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AU - Dalton, Jeffrey A

AU - Benson, Philip J

AU - Cleare, Anthony J

AU - Fu, Cynthia H Y

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N2 - The amygdala has a key role in automatic non-conscious processing of emotions. Highly salient emotional stimuli elicit amygdala activity, and happy faces are among the most rapidly perceived facial expressions. In backward masking paradigms, an image is presented briefly and then masked by another stimulus. However, reports of amygdala responses to masked happy faces have been mixed. In the present study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine amygdala activation to masked happy, sad, and neutral facial expressions. Masked happy faces elicited greater amygdala activation bilaterally as compared to masked sad faces. Our findings indicate that the amygdala is highly responsive to non-consciously perceived happy facial expressions.

AB - The amygdala has a key role in automatic non-conscious processing of emotions. Highly salient emotional stimuli elicit amygdala activity, and happy faces are among the most rapidly perceived facial expressions. In backward masking paradigms, an image is presented briefly and then masked by another stimulus. However, reports of amygdala responses to masked happy faces have been mixed. In the present study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine amygdala activation to masked happy, sad, and neutral facial expressions. Masked happy faces elicited greater amygdala activation bilaterally as compared to masked sad faces. Our findings indicate that the amygdala is highly responsive to non-consciously perceived happy facial expressions.

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KW - Affect

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KW - Perceptual Masking

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Amygdala activation to masked happy facial expressions

Abstract

Keywords

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