Trends in cognitive sciences
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Trends Cogn. Sci. (Regul. Ed.) · Mar 2012
ReviewVentromedial prefrontal-subcortical systems and the generation of affective meaning.
The ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) comprises a set of interconnected regions that integrate information from affective sensory and social cues, long-term memory, and representations of the 'self'. Alhough the vmPFC is implicated in a variety of seemingly disparate processes, these processes are organized around a common theme. The vmPFC is not necessary for affective responses per se, but is critical when affective responses are shaped by conceptual information about specific outcomes. The vmPFC thus functions as a hub that links concepts with brainstem systems capable of coordinating organism-wide emotional behavior, a process we describe in terms of the generation of affective meaning, and which could explain the common role played by the vmPFC in a range of experimental paradigms.
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Many believe empathy and related pro-social behaviors to be the sole province of humans. The evolutionary antecedents of such phenomena, however, have been observed in lower mammals. By demonstrating empathy-based helping behavior in rats, a recently published study has provided clear-cut evidence that pro-social behaviors are not limited to humans.