Amygdala and hippocampal activation in emotional imagery

Abstract

Theories of emotion proposing a critical role of the amygdala in affective processing have led to an expectation that significant blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) enhancement will be observed in the amygdala, regardless of the emotional processing context. In a recent review article published in this journal, for instance, Cocquyt and Palombo 1 discuss the neural correlates of emotional narrative imagery, 2,3 cued by brief texts (e.g., "I abruptly stop and hold my breath as a snake appears from nowhere, ready to attack"). Although the review is primarily focused on assessing activation of the default mode network, evidence supporting the role of a salience network that includes the amygdala is also considered.Conflicting results reported for significant amygdala activation during emotional imagery are hypothesized to stem from variations in the task design, with the suggestion that it is imagery studies that involve anticipation that prompt heightened BOLD activity in the amygdala. 1