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Considering the increasingly paranoid cries, rantings and ravings about the supposed threat of socialism and even freakin' communism coming from the extreme right, not exactly a mystery to me...
I wouldn't brag too much about that smaller "fear center". Seems it is useful for other things like...
awareness
The amygdala acts to perform environmental surveilance and can trigger orienting responses as well as mediate the maintanance of attention if something of interest or importance were to appear.
self-determination
Bilateral destruction of the amygdala usually results in increased tameness, docility, and reduced aggressiveness in cats, monkeys and other animals
learning from experience
The amygdalae also are involved in the modulation of memory consolidation. Following any learning event, the long-term memory for the event is not instantaneously formed. Rather, information regarding the event is slowly assimilated into long-term storage over time (the duration of long-term memory storage can be life-long), a process referred to as memory consolidation, until it reaches a relatively permanent state.
creativity
Research using Rorschach test blot 03 finds that the number of ‘‘unique responses’’ to this random figure links to larger sized amygdalae. The researchers note, "Since previous reports have indicated that unique responses were observed at higher frequency in the artistic population than in the nonartistic normal population, this positive correlation suggests that amygdalar enlargement in the normal population might be related to creative mental activity
emotional stability
A 2003 study found that adult and adolescent bipolar patients tended to have considerably smaller amygdala volumes and somewhat smaller hippocampal volumes
If conservatives are more fearful than liberals, it would seem this is due to liberals being less inclined to learn from their experience and as a result are unaware of government's efforts to restrict our right to self-determination.
I wouldn't brag too much about that smaller "fear center". Seems it is useful for other things like...
awareness
The amygdala acts to perform environmental surveilance and can trigger orienting responses as well as mediate the maintanance of attention if something of interest or importance were to appear.
self-determination
Bilateral destruction of the amygdala usually results in increased tameness, docility, and reduced aggressiveness in cats, monkeys and other animals
learning from experience
The amygdalae also are involved in the modulation of memory consolidation. Following any learning event, the long-term memory for the event is not instantaneously formed. Rather, information regarding the event is slowly assimilated into long-term storage over time (the duration of long-term memory storage can be life-long), a process referred to as memory consolidation, until it reaches a relatively permanent state.
creativity
Research using Rorschach test blot 03 finds that the number of ‘‘unique responses’’ to this random figure links to larger sized amygdalae. The researchers note, "Since previous reports have indicated that unique responses were observed at higher frequency in the artistic population than in the nonartistic normal population, this positive correlation suggests that amygdalar enlargement in the normal population might be related to creative mental activity
emotional stability
A 2003 study found that adult and adolescent bipolar patients tended to have considerably smaller amygdala volumes and somewhat smaller hippocampal volumes
You do realize that the amygdala isn't the only regulator for emotions in the brain.
There is also the prefrontal lobe that expresses behaviors and emotions as well.
Creativity is also relative. One can be creative by conjuring up fearful images.
Not to mention that the sizes for bipolar people are most likely smaller than liberals, thus not really proving anything. Fun fact, but not really on topic.
It is possible that a combination of biological factors influence voting, like DRD4 expression in liberals. However, it's not just one part of the brain, it's most likely the sum of the total parts (just like DRD4 inhibition does not lead to a propensity to change ones view from liberal to conservative, there are other genes as well).
You do realize that the amygdala isn't the only regulator for emotions in the brain.
[quote=calibro1;17199372]
Yeah, I know.
Did I say it was?
Take it up with odanny.
It's his retarded thread.
There is also the prefrontal lobe that expresses behaviors and emotions as well.
Did I say it didn't?
Creativity is also relative. One can be creative by conjuring up fearful images.
Or not.
Not to mention that the sizes for bipolar people are most likely smaller than liberals, thus not really proving anything. Fun fact, but not really on topic.
I don't really know one way or the other, but I'd love to see some real data.
Got a link?
It is possible that a combination of biological factors influence voting, like DRD4 expression in liberals. However, it's not just one part of the brain, it's most likely the sum of the total parts (just like DRD4 inhibition does not lead to a propensity to change ones view from liberal to conservative, there are other genes as well).
A combination of biological factors, personal chemistry, environment and experience, no doubt about it.
There is also the prefrontal lobe that expresses behaviors and emotions as well.
Did I say it didn't?
Creativity is also relative. One can be creative by conjuring up fearful images.
Or not.
Not to mention that the sizes for bipolar people are most likely smaller than liberals, thus not really proving anything. Fun fact, but not really on topic.
I don't really know one way or the other, but I'd love to see some real data.
Got a link?
It is possible that a combination of biological factors influence voting, like DRD4 expression in liberals. However, it's not just one part of the brain, it's most likely the sum of the total parts (just like DRD4 inhibition does not lead to a propensity to change ones view from liberal to conservative, there are other genes as well).
A combination of biological factors, personal chemistry, environment and experience, no doubt about it.
As far as evidence, no I don't have a link. My text book in neuropharm doesn't have a link. Neither does my text book in cognitive neuroscience. Sorry. All I have is a degree from a top rated biopsych program.
As far as evidence, no I don't have a link. My text book in neuropharm doesn't have a link. Neither does my text book in cognitive neuroscience. Sorry. All I have is a degree from a top rated biopsych program.
Shame...the OP started out with an outlandish claim with no real data to back it up. Some hard data would have made a much better thread.
Shame...the OP started out with an outlandish claim with no real data to back it up. Some hard data would have made a much better thread.
Sorry if I don't know, a freaking degree isn't linked. I will have to ship my text books from the US to South Korea just to link it. In the mean here's a link:
Look if you want to debate whether an increase of endogenous serotonin from the raphe nuclei to the orbital prefrontal lobe is the cause of autism or rather a symptom...then let's debate. Frankly, I'm more with dopaminergic reward systems. I also do like to dabble on gene expression and what agonists cause methylation on substrates that contribute to a variety of behaviors that we see.
You know, all those debates that have no real data.
You know, it just occurred to me that Liberals are celebrating the fact that part of their brain is smaller and less developed.
You mean the part that produces irrational fear?
Casper
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Amygdalae: Size Does Matter!
