The amygdala is a part of the brain important for emotional responses, especially fear. It is thought to be important in anxiety disorders. A new UC Davis study reveals new cell types in different ...

Have you ever wondered why you jump when you’re startled? Maybe you wonder why you have a harder time handling stress and anxiety than your friends and family do. Part of the reason might lie in your ...

"I am often said to have identified the amygdala as the brain's 'fear' center. But the fact is, I have not done this, nor has anyone else." —Joseph LeDoux (2015) 3D illustration of both amygdala.

In 1995, author Daniel Goleman coined the term “amygdala hijack”–an idea that has subsequently appeared in countless blogs, self-help books, and videos. According to this idea, a part of the brain ...

Hasegawa et al. first used a fluorescence-based sensor to measure dopamine levels in the amygdala of mice as they naturally cycled between wakefulness and non-REM and REM sleep. Dopamine release in ...

Research led by UNC-Chapel Hill scientists is the first to demonstrate overgrowth of the amygdala in the first year of life, before babies show most of the behavioral symptoms that later consolidate ...

Treating anxiety, depression and other disorders may depend on the amygdala, a part of the brain that controls strong emotional reactions, especially fear. But a deep understanding of this structure ...