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Toward a general psychobiological theory of emotions
Abstract
Abstract Emotions seem to arise ultimately from hard-wired neural circuits in the visceral-limbic brain that facilitate diverse and adaptive behavioral and physiological responses to major classes of environmental challenges. Presumably these circuits developed early in mammalian brain evolution, and the underlying control mechanisms remain similar in humans and “lower” mammals. This would suggest that theoretically guided studies of the animal brain can reveal how primitive emotions are organized in the human brain. Conversely, granted this cross-species heritage, it is arguable that human introspective access to emotional states may provide direct information concerning operations of emotive circuits and thus be a primary source of hypotheses for animal brain research. In this article the possibility that emotions are elaborated by transhypothalamic executive (command) circuits that concurrently activate related behavior patterns is assessed. Current neurobehavioral evidence indicates that there are at least four executive circuits of this type – those which elaborate central states of expectancy, rage, fear, and panic. The manner in which learning and psychiatric disorders may arise from activities of such circuits is also discussed.
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“Specifically, the present paper adopts the perspective that the meso-striatal dopamine systems are part of the set of coordinated neuronal mechanisms that allows organisms to find biologically important stimuli from the environment, to promote and sustain life (SEEKING or expectancy/foraging system) (Panksepp, 1982; 1998).”
From Dopamine reward circuitry: Two projection systems from the ventral midbrain to the nucleus accumbens–olfactory tubercle complex (2007) · cites this paper as Panksepp, 1982
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“As suggested by Panksepp (1982; 1998), this type of pleasure is likely mediated, in part, by dopamine.”
From Dopamine reward circuitry: Two projection systems from the ventral midbrain to the nucleus accumbens–olfactory tubercle complex (2007) · cites this paper as Panksepp, 1982
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Metadata
- Authors
- Panksepp, J.
- Affiliations
- Bowling Green State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Panksepp, Jaak
- Venue
- Behavioral and Brain Sciences
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 1982-09
- Volume
- 5
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 407-422
- ISSN
- 0140-525X (ISSN-L)
- 1469-1825
- OpenAlex
- W2114814559
- Cited by
- 999
- References
- 374
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 44 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 54 · 2020: 41 · 2019: 23 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 21 · 2016: 20 · 2015: 45 · 2014: 26 · 2013: 25 · 2012: 28
- FWCI
- 28.52
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Behavioral and Brain Sciences (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Keywords
- emotions, neural circuits, mammalian brain evolution, expectancy, RAGE, fear, panic, learning, mental illness, self-reflection
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