Limbic system AO1

• Limbic system

  • The limbic system is a set of brain structures located on top of the brainstem and buried under the cortex.
  • Limbic system structures are involved in many of our emotions and motivations, particularly those that are related to survival.
  • Such emotions include fear, anger, and emotions related to sexual behaviour. The limbic system is also involved in feelings of pleasure that are related to our survival, such as those experienced from eating and sex.
• Parts of the Limbic system

  Hippocampus: plays an important role in emotion, learning and memory. involved in formation of long-term memories to compare a current threat with similar past experience

  Amygdala: plays role in aggression, eating, drinking and sexual behaviours. Evaluates emotional importance of sensory information and prompting an appropriate response

  Hypothalamus: monitors blood levels of glucose, salt, blood pressure and hormones
• Pre-frontal cortex

  • main area involved in aggression
  • Social regulation and interaction are functions that involve the frontal cortex and aggressive behaviours.
  • Individuals with frontal lobe damage often show impulsive behaviour, irritability, short tempers and are easily provoked.
• • Case of Phineas Gage: rod went through his left eye and the frontal lobes, damaging the pre-frontal cortex. Gage was not impaired in movement of speech but his personality had changed dramatically as he had become foul mouthed with bad manners and got into fights. ‘Gage was no longer Gage’. This supports the role of the pre-frontal cortex in aggression.