Authors

Paradiso S. Robinson RG. Andreasen NC. Downhill JE. Davidson RJ.

Kirchner PT. Watkins GL. Ponto LL.

Hichwa RD.

 

Institution

University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Department of Psychiatry

Administration, Iowa City 52242, USA.

 

Title

Emotional activation of limbic circuitry in elderly normal subjects in a PET

study.

 

Source

American Journal of Psychiatry. 154(3):384-9, 1997 Mar.

 

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to identify brain structures associated

with emotion in normal elderly subjects. METHOD: Eight normal subjects aged

55-78 years were shown film clips intended to provoke the emotions of

happiness, fear, or disgust as well as a neutral state. During emotional

activation, regional cerebral blood flow was measured with the use of

[15O]H2O positron emission tomography imaging, and subjective emotional

responses were recorded. Data were analyzed by subtracting the values during

the neutral condition from the values in the various emotional activations.

RESULTS: The stimuli produced a general activation in visual pathways that

included the primary and secondary visual cortex, involving regions

associated with object and spatial recognition. In addition, the specific

emotions produced different regional limbic activations, which suggests that

different pathways may be used for different types of emotional stimuli.

CONCLUSIONS: Emotional activation in normal elderly subjects was associated

with increases in blood flow in limbic and paralimbic brain structures. Brain

activation may be specific to the emotion being elicited but probably

involves complex sensory, association, and memory circuitry. Further studies

are needed to identify activations that are specific for emotion.