ABSTRACT
Hippocampus and amygdala are located in the ventromedial portion of the temporal lobe and form part of the limbic system. The basolateral complex of the amygdala is a cortical-like structure. Like other nonisocortical structures, such as the hippocampus and piriform cortex, it projects prominently to the ventral striatum and the extended amygdala. Viewing fearful facial expressions increased activity in the left amygdala in functional neuroimaging, whereas viewing happy faces reduced amygdala activity. The basolateral complex of the amygdala consists of the basolateral ("basal"), basomedial ("accessory basal"), and lateral nuclei. The basal nucleus of the basolateral complex may function as a sensory interface for complex, configural conditioned-stimulus features, whereas the lateral nucleus of the amygdala serves as a sensory interface for relatively simple, unimodal conditioned-stimulus features. The central nucleus of the amygdala produces a range of physiological and behavioural effects via its projections to nuclei in the brainstem and hypothalamus.
