The amygdala is an almond-shaped brain structure responsible for recalling names and faces, as well as handling assorted relationships. Researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School have discovered a correlation between having a larger amygdala and exhibiting an extended social life.
Scientists conducted the study on 58 healthy participants, using questionnaires to assess the complexity of interactions and magnetic resonance imaging to identify the comparative sizes of the volunteers' amygdalae. The resulting correlation may indicate that dealing with increased social interaction results in growth of one's amygdala.
Other studies have demonstrated this cause and effect relationship; a study in 2000 showed that the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory, grew in taxi drivers as they developed their mental maps of London. Results of the research reinforce experimental results linking the amygdala to increased interactive behavior. Very likely, the amygdala evolved to help humans handle the growing complexity of their social lives. Further studies will seek to better the understanding of how abnormalities in brain structures weaken the social abilities of people with psychological and behavioral disorders.
-compiled by Sasha Gitomirski
Read More
U.Va. students and physicians team up for another year of free kidney screenings
By Merrill Hart | November 5, 2024Saturday’s screening marked the first by KDSAP at Portico Church, near IX Art Park.
U.Va. Health sees a spike in COVID-19 cases
By Emily Horn | September 4, 2023U.Va. Health ended their vaccination requirements in August, and masks were made optional in most hospital areas in early April.
U.Va. Cancer Center harnesses $12 million grant to support opportunities for undergraduates, ongoing research and new center
By Ellen Wu | January 12, 2023The grant provides an opportunity to establish the Center for Systems Analysis of Stress-Adapted Cancer Organelles, which seeks to find the cause of cancer in individual organelles.
