Amygdalar-Frontal Pathway [Neurosurgery Wiki]

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====== Amygdalar-Frontal Pathway ======

The '''amygdalar-frontal pathway''' refers to the neural connections between the '''amygdala''', a key limbic structure involved in emotion processing, and the '''prefrontal cortex''' (PFC), which is critical for executive function and emotional regulation.

===== Functional Anatomy =====
  * **Amygdala**:
    * Processes emotional stimuli, especially fear and threat.
    * Detects salient environmental cues.

  * **Prefrontal Cortex (PFC)**:
    * Involved in decision-making, impulse control, and emotion regulation.
    * Relevant regions include the ventromedial (vmPFC), dorsolateral (dlPFC), and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC).

  * **Connectivity**:
    * Bidirectional communication:
      * '''Bottom-up''': emotional salience signals from the amygdala to the PFC.
      * '''Top-down''': regulatory control from the PFC to the amygdala.
    * Key white matter tracts:
      * Uncinate fasciculus
      * Cingulum bundle
      * Extreme capsule

===== Clinical Relevance =====
Alterations in this pathway are implicated in various psychiatric and neurological conditions:

  * Anxiety disorders
  * Major depressive disorder
  * Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  * Substance use disorders
  * Neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., autism, ADHD)