Abstract
STUDIES in animals have shown that the amygdala receives highly processed visual input1,2, contains neurons that respond selectively to faces3, and that it participates in emotion4,5 and social behaviour6. Although studies in epileptic patients support its role in emotion7, determination of the amygdala's function in humans has been hampered by the rarity of patients with selective amygdala lesions8. Here, with the help of one such rare patient, we report findings that suggest the human amygdala may be indispensable to: (1) recognize fear in facial expressions; (2) recognize multiple emotions in a single facial expression; but (3) is not required to recognize personal identity from faces. These results suggest that damage restricted to the amygdala causes very specific recognition impairments, and thus constrains the broad notion that the amygdala is involved in emotion.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on SpringerLink
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Herzog, A. G. & Van Hoesen, G. W. Brain Res. 115, 57–69 (1976).
Amaral, D. G., Price, J. L., Pitkanen, A. & Carmichael, S. T. in The Amygdala: Neurobiological Aspects of Emotion, Memory, and Mental Dysfunction (ed. Aggleton, J. P.) 1–66 (Wiley-Liss, New York, 1992).
Rolls, E. T. in The Amygdala: Neurobiological Aspects of Emotion, Memory, and Mental Dysfunction (ed. Aggleton, J. P.) 143–167 (Wiley-Liss, New York, 1992).
Aggleton, J. P. (ed.) The Amygdala: Neurobiological Aspects of Emotion, Memory, and Mental Dysfunction (Wiley-Liss, New York, 1992).
LeDoux, J. E. Behavl Brain Res. 58, 69–79 (1993).
Kling, A. S. & Brothers, L. A. in The Amygdala: Neurobiological Aspects of Emotion, Memory, and Mental Dysfunction (ed. Aggleton, J. P.) 353–378 (Wiley-Liss, New York, 1992).
Halgren, E., Walter, R. D., Cherlow, D. G. & Crandall, P. H. Brain 101, 83–117 (1978).
Aggleton, J. P. in The Amygdala: Neurobiological Aspects of Emotion, Memory, and Mental Dysfunction (ed. Aggleton, J. P.) 485–504 (Wiley-Liss, New York, 1992).
Nahm, F. K. D., Tranel, D., Damasio, H. & Damasio, A. R. Neuropsychologia 31, 727–744 (1993).
Tranel, D. & Hyman, B. T. Archs Neurol. 47, 349–355 (1990).
Hofer, P.-A. Acta Derm. Venerol. 53, 5–52 (1973).
Ekman, P. Pictures of Facial Affect (Consulting Psychologists Press, Palo Alto, 1976).
Tranel, D., Damasio, A. R. & Damasio, H. Neurology 38, 690–696 (1988).
Damasio, A. R., Tranel, D. & Damasio, H. A. Rev. Neurosci. 13, 89–109 (1990).
Humphreys, G. W., Donnelly, N. & Riddoch, M. J. Neuropsychologia 31, 173–181 (1993).
Hasselmo, M. E., Rolls, E. T. & Baylis, G. C. Behavl Brain Res. 32, 203–218 (1989).
Blanchard, D. C. & Blanchard, R. J. J. comp. Physiol. Psychol. 81, 281–290 (1972).
Weiskrantz, L. J. comp. Physiol. Psychol. 49, 381–391 (1956).
Davis, M. A. Rev. Neurosci. 15, 353–375 (1992).
Russell, J. A. & Bullock, M. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 48, 1290–1298 (1985).
Russell, J. A. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 39, 1161–1178 (1980).
Russell, J. A., Lewicka, M. & Niit, T. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 57, 848–856 (1989).
Ekman, P. Darwin and Facial Expression: A Century of Research in Review (Academic, New York, 1973).
Darwin, C. The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals (University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1872/1965).
Russell, J. A. Psychol. Bull. 110, 426–450 (1991).
Damasio, H. & Frank, R. Archs Neurol. 49, 137–143 (1992).
Damasio, H. & Damasio, A. R. Lesion Analysis in Neuropsychology (Oxford University Press, New York, 1989).
Guttman, L. A. Psychometrika 33, 469–506 (1968).
Kruskal, J. B. Psychometrika 29, 115–129 (1964).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Adolphs, R., Tranel, D., Damasio, H. et al. Impaired recognition of emotion in facial expressions following bilateral damage to the human amygdala. Nature 372, 669–672 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1038/372669a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/372669a0
