Amygdala Responses to Fearful and Happy Facial Expressions under Conditions of Binocular Suppression

• DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4977-03.2004
• Publication Date: 2004-03-24T20:33:54Z
• Authors: Mark A. Williams; Adam P. Morris; Francis McGlone; David F. Abbott; Jason B. Mattingley
• Keywords: Binocular rivalry; Fusiform face area

The human amygdala plays a crucial role in processing affective information conveyed by sensory stimuli. Facial expressions of fear and anger, which both signal potential threat to an observer, result significant increases activity, even when the faces are unattended or presented briefly masked. It has been suggested that afferent signals from retina travel via separate cortical subcortical pathways, with pathway underlying unconscious processing. Here we exploited phenomenon binocular rivalry induce complete suppression face stimuli one eye. Twelve participants viewed brief, rivalrous visual displays fearful, happy, neutral was eye while house simultaneously other. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging study activation extrastriate areas for consciously perceived versus suppressed Activation within fusiform parahippocampal gyri increased significantly houses, respectively. Amygdala bilaterally response fearful faces, regardless whether because rivalry. activity also happy but only suppressed. This pattern suggests limited capacity differentiate between specific facial it must rely on received route. suggest this reflects tradeoff specificity speed