Limbic system
The Limbic System or Emotional Brain
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The limbic system is currently conceived as a collection of structures that form the inner border ("limbus") of the cortex.
Our sensory system allows us to know about our external world and receive information about it.
The limbic system plays an active role in learning and memory.
It determines
INPUT - what information coming to the brain will be processed
OUTPUT - how that information will be processed, and how we act in the world
It allows for learning, memory and emotion, all of which influence executive function
reasoning
problem-solving
planning
decision-making
amygdala
amygdala
- processes fear and other emotions
- attaches emotional significance to information
- determines which memories are stored and where they are stored in the brain
hippocampus
hippocampus
- is involved in the formation of new memories
caudate nucleus
caudate nucleus
- involved in feedback processing
- allows our thoughts to transition from one to the next
cingulate gyrus
cingulate gyrus
- triggers anxiety and sends signals to the gut and heart that cause panic
thalamus
- relay station for sensory inputs as well as inputs from other parts of the brain
- determines which of these signals to forward to the cerebral cortex
hypothalamus
- composed of many nuclei that regulate endocrine and visceral functions
- controls autonomic functions such as heart rate, digestion, body temperature
- regulates food and water intake, and the sleep-wake cycle
- regulates fight or flight and translates extreme emotions into physical responses
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dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
- involved in executive functions
- helps us to prioritize behaviours and adapt to change
orbital frontal cortex
orbital frontal cortex
- exercising impulse control
- learning cultural mores
- understanding the consequences of one's actions
nucleus accumbens
nucleus accumbens
- a group of neurons located in the forebrain
- receives major input from the VTA (ventral tegmental area)
VTA (ventral tegmental area)
- a small group of neurons located in the midbrain
- uses dopamine as a neurotransmitter