Cited by 2,360Face Recognition and PerceptionMemory and Neural MechanismsNeural and Behavioral Psychology Studies

Impaired recognition of emotion in facial expressions following bilateral damage to the human amygdala

Adolphs, R., Tranel, D., Damasio, H., Damasio, A.·1994·Nature

Abstract

Studies in animals have shown that the amygdala receives highly processed visual input, contains neurons that respond selectively to faces, and that it participates in emotion and social behaviour. Although studies in epileptic patients support its role in emotion, determination of the amygdala's function in humans has been hampered by the rarity of patients with selective amygdala lesions. Here, with the help of one such rare patient, we report findings that suggest the human amygdala may be indispensable to: (1) recognize fear in facial expressions; (2) recognize multiple emotions in a single facial expression; but (3) is not required to recognize personal identity from faces. These results suggest that damage restricted to the amygdala causes very specific recognition impairments, and thus constrains the broad notion that the amygdala is involved in emotion.

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Crossref · 10.1038/372669a0

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  • Damage to the amygdala can impair the recognition of particular facial emotional expressions.

    “For instance, damage to the amygdala can impair the recognition of particular facial emotional expressions (Adolphs et al. 1994)”

    From The Social Effects of Emotions (2022) · cites this paper as Adolphs et al. 1994

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Authors
Adolphs, R., Tranel, D., Damasio, H., & Damasio, A.
Affiliations
University of Iowa (US)
Venue
Nature
Published
1994-12
Volume
372
Issue
6507
Pages
669-672
ISSN
  • 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-4687
OpenAlex
W2035518691
Cited by
2,360
References
27
Citations by year
2026: 35 · 2025: 36 · 2024: 54 · 2023: 63 · 2022: 63 · 2021: 58 · 2020: 73 · 2019: 102 · 2018: 74 · 2017: 71 · 2016: 82 · 2015: 79 · 2014: 87 · 2013: 90 · 2012: 112
FWCI
29.13
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Nature (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Face Recognition and Perception
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
Keywords
amygdala, emotion recognition, facial expressions, fear recognition, face identification, social cognition, epilepsy
MeSH terms
Adult, Amygdala, Brain Diseases, Emotions, Facial Expression, Female, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Social Perception, Tomography, X-Ray Computed, Visual Perception

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