Cited by 112Face Recognition and PerceptionEvolutionary Psychology and Human BehaviorMemory and Neural Mechanisms

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 54 of the 54 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Human Amygdala Sensitivity to the Pupil Size of Others

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Demos, K.E., Kelley, W.M., Ryan, S.L., Davis, F.C., Whalen, P.J.·2008·Cerebral Cortex

Abstract

Stimulation of the amygdala produces pupil dilation in animal and human subjects. The present study examined whether the amygdala is sensitive to variations in the pupil size of others. Male subjects underwent event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging while passively viewing unfamiliar female faces whose pupils were either unaltered (natural variations in large and small pupils) or altered to be larger or smaller than their original size. Results revealed that the right amygdala and left amygdala/substantia innominata were sensitive to the pupil size of others, exhibiting increased activity for faces with relatively large pupils. Upon debrief, no subject reported being aware that the pupils had been manipulated. These results suggest a function for the amygdala in the detection of changes in pupil size, an index of arousal and/or interest on the part of a conspecific, even in the absence of explicit knowledge.

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Crossref · 10.1093/cercor/bhn034

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Figures

Figure 1. Examples of big- and small-pupil faces. Face images depicted females with naturally big pupils and naturally small pupils. An altered big- or small-pupil counterpart of each face was created such that the same individual could be represented in either the big- or small-pupil condition. Shown here is a photograph depicting naturally big pupils (a, c) and its altered small-pupil counterpart (b, d).
Figure 1. Examples of big- and small-pupil faces. Face images depicted females with naturally big pupils and naturally small pupils. An altered big- or small-pupil counterpart of each face was created such that the same individual could be represented in either the big- or small-pupil condition. Shown here is a photograph depicting naturally big pupils (a, c) and its altered small-pupil counterpart (b, d).CC BY-NC · PubMed Central
Figure 2. Amygdala responses during passive viewing of big- and small-pupil faces. Coronal sections show greater activity for big- versus small-pupil faces. Images are coronal sections in Talairach and Tournoux (1988) atlas space. Colored pixels exceeded the statistical threshold (P < 0.01, uncorrected, minimum cluster size = 5 voxels) and are superimposed on corresponding anatomy images. The left side of the image corresponds to the left hemisphere at a y coordinate of −1 and the right side of the image corresponds to a y coordinate of −7. Greater activity to BIG versus SMALL pupils was observed in both the right amygdala (27 −7 −15) and the left amygdala extending into the substantia innominata within the ventral basal forebrain (−30 −1 −10).
Figure 2. Amygdala responses during passive viewing of big- and small-pupil faces. Coronal sections show greater activity for big- versus small-pupil faces. Images are coronal sections in Talairach and Tournoux (1988) atlas space. Colored pixels exceeded the statistical threshold (P < 0.01, uncorrected, minimum cluster size = 5 voxels) and are superimposed on corresponding anatomy images. The left side of the image corresponds to the left hemisphere at a y coordinate of −1 and the right side of the image corresponds to a y coordinate of −7. Greater activity to BIG versus SMALL pupils was observed in both the right amygdala (27 −7 −15) and the left amygdala extending into the substantia innominata within the ventral basal forebrain (−30 −1 −10).CC BY-NC · PubMed Central
Figure 3. Signal change in left- (a) and right-amygdaloid (b) regions for big- and small-pupil faces. Signal intensities (arbitrary units) for each condition are plotted relative to a baseline control condition (fixating a crosshair). For both ROIs, activity was significantly greater than baseline when subjects viewed big-pupil faces but was no different from baseline when viewing small-pupil faces. Error bars indicate standard error of the mean.
Figure 3. Signal change in left- (a) and right-amygdaloid (b) regions for big- and small-pupil faces. Signal intensities (arbitrary units) for each condition are plotted relative to a baseline control condition (fixating a crosshair). For both ROIs, activity was significantly greater than baseline when subjects viewed big-pupil faces but was no different from baseline when viewing small-pupil faces. Error bars indicate standard error of the mean.CC BY-NC · PubMed Central

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. Amaral, 1992, Anatomical organization of the primate amygdaloid complex, 1

Metadata

Authors
Demos, K. E., Kelley, W. M., Ryan, S. L., Davis, F. C., & Whalen, P. J.
Affiliations
Dartmouth College (US)
Corresponding author
Demos, K.E.
Venue
Cerebral Cortex
Published
2008-03-27
Volume
18
Issue
12
Pages
2729-2734
ISSN
  • 1047-3211 (ISSN-L)
  • 1460-2199
OpenAlex
W2119582005
Cited by
112
References
53
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 4
FWCI
5.01
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by-nc
Locations
  • Cerebral Cortex (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Dartmouth College
  • U.S. Public Health Service (080716, 069315)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH080716, 080716, 069315)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Face Recognition and Perception
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
Keywords
amygdala, pupil size, social perception, facial expressions, arousal detection, substantia innominata, face perception, unconscious processes, pupillometry
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Amygdala, Arousal, Cues, Facial Expression, Female, Humans, Functional Laterality, Male, Pupil, Visual Acuity, Visual Perception, Knowledge, Young Adult

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