A Critique of Amygdala activity related to enhanced memory for pleasant and aversive stimuli

Hamann, S.B., Ely, T.D., Grafton, S.T., & Kilts, C.D. Amygdala activity related to enhanced memory for pleasant and aversive stimuli. Nature Neuroscience, 2(3): 289-293.

Never has a theory in brain research been as incorrect as the theory of equipotentialism, initiated in the early 17th century. The debate between localism and holism in the brain brought forth great thinkers such as Paul Broca and Jean-Baptiste Bouillaud who bolstered the localism argument, and Marie-Jean-Pierre Flourens who argued for holism or equipontiality. It was during this debate that Broca first concluded upon the lateralization of language in the left hemisphere. The investigation of localization of language in a brain disproving the holistic qualities of the brain was the first of a multitude of evidence that refuted equipotentiality as an applicable theory n the brain. Consistent with this legacy is research completed by Hamann et al. (1999), which further localizes brain function in the temporal lobes of a structure called the amygadala. Temporal lobes have been linked to memory via studies of a

As researchers deject the theory of equipotentiality they get closer to the pure functions that underlie specific structures in the brain. Hamann et al. attempt to corroborate mechanisms hypothesized in amygdala functioning but this experiment could have been executed which much more accuracy had they separated sexually arousing stimuli from the body of pleasant and aversive stimuli. Data extraction of subject memory could have also benefited from the use of individual subject drawings to report those pictures that were in memory during testing. Revised methods in this area of studying the amygdala could provide insight into disorders such as depression as well as PTSD.

Recognition and recall are linked to more unconscious processes than those in our conscious awareness. Requirement for verbal communication of the contents in memory could have introduced artifacts into the study based on the limitations placed on subjects as they convert internal representations into verbal expressions. It has been understood that people are not able to verbally declare everything in their memories, making it quite possible that Hamann et al. could benefit from methods employed in the Nickerson and Adams study where subjects were to convey the contents of memory via drawings (Nickerson and Admas, 1979). We learn that we are capable of storing more than what can be verbally expressed from memories as we are cued say on a test or in general conversation, where these cues act to bring forth or allow us to gain access to knowledge that was previously in unconscious stores. Subjects might be able to retrieve more of the contents from their memory via cues that were used to store or encode the visual memory, facilitating retrieval and giving them more success when reporting memory using personal drawings. Subjects could have also suffered from certain anomias for specific types of objects or scenes where they are unable to verbally name them. These anomias are undetectable unless specific tests are given in the area of inter

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