161
Neuroanatomic Correlates
It is important to examine these findings from the
neurobiological perspective. Below some of the current
evidence regarding the neural organization of emotion will
be reviewed. Based on this information, the current
findings will be discussed.
In a recent review of the neurobiology of emotional
conditioning, LeDoux (1994) described two pathways
responsible for shock conditioning, a cortical and
subcortical pathway. LeDoux describe recent work in animals
where tones are paired with shock. The tone comes through
the ear proceed from the auditory nerves to the auditory
midbrain to the auditory thalamus. The auditory thalamus
has projections to the primary auditory cortex as well as to
the amygdala. In animals, fear conditioning still occurs
after bilateral ablation of the primary auditory cortex.
According to LeDoux the cortical system is involved in
the slower, top-down interpretation of the emotional
significance of the situation. In this study, it remains
unclear whether the RHD and most of the LHD accurately
interpreted the situation correctly. The lack of SCR
findings may be related to the inability of subjects to
interpret the anticipatory trials accurately.
Heilman, Watson, and Valenstein (1994), reviewed the
literature on reaction time tasks in patients with
unilateral lesions which revealed that RHD patients had