What part of the brain controls emotion?

Question

I'm confused... amygdala, hypothalamus?... help!

Answer 1

Depends what emotions you're talking about. The amyglada controls the more simple ones (anger and fear come to mind), I'd think that a higher level in brain like the prefrontal cortex probably has a hand in the more complex ones.

Answer 2

Your confusion stems from the fact that there is no specific part of the brain that controls emotion. The search for "locus of control" has been going on since the very beginnings of Psychiatry & Psychology. All we know is from observations of behavioral changes from those with damage to certain parts of the brain. The classic example is the Phineas Gage case, where the patient suffered damage to the frontal lobe and consequently developed changes in some aspects of his behavior.
It is true that certain regions of the brain "specialize" in certain tasks (i.e. Wernicke's Area, Broca's Area, Occipital Lobe). However, other, older parts of the brain (especially the midbrain) seem to be somewhat multi-functional, and assist other parts for the execution of more complex brain functions.
I've heard people attribute emotional response functions to the amygdala before, and I'd say that would be the "main" area to look at, but emotion is not just an automated response, so other areas play a part as well, such as the hypothalamus.
I hope this helped you out a bit.

Answer 3

It's complicated.

Both amygdala and hypothalamus have a role in emotional behavior.

The amygdala is generally thought of as producing rage in response to fear or perceived threats. A lot of clues to the functioning of the amygdala come from studies of Klüver-Bucy Syndrome. Removal of the amygdala leads to hyperphagia (too much eating), hyperorality (exploring things with your mouth), and hypersexuality (attempting sexual congress with inappropriate objects, animate or inanimate). It's as if, without the amygdala, the brain goes into "Make Love, Not War" mode.

Stimulation of the amygdala leads to the opposite responses: "Make War, Not Love".

However, stimulation of some regions in the hypothalamus has been shown to produce "sham rage". (See papers by WR Hess from the 1920s and John Flynn in the 1960s.)

There are many, many other areas of the brain devoted to emotional expression, or modification of emotional responses. It's really very complicated.

Answer 4

"Structures in the region of the diencephalon are important in controlling emotional responses. For example, portions of the cerebral cortex in the medial parts of the frontal and temporal lobes connect with the hypothalamus, thalamus, basal nuclei, and other deep nuclei. Together, these structures comprise a complex called the limbic system. The limbic system controls emotional experience and expression and can modify the way a person acts. It produces such feelings as fear, anger, pleasure, and sorrow. The limbic system seems to recognize upsets in a person's physical or psychological condition that might threaten life. By causing pleasant or unpleasant feelings about experiences, the limbic system guides a person into behavior that may increase the chance of survival. In addition, portions of the limbic system interpret sensory impulses from the receptors associated with the sense of smell (olfactory receptors).

Answer 5

amygdala