Emotion, plasticity, context, and regulation: Perspectives from affective neuroscience

The authors present an overview of the neural bases of emotion. They unders core the role of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and amygdala in 2 brood approa ch- and withdrawal-related emotion systems. Components and measures of affe ctive style are identified. Emphasis is given to affective chronometry and a role for the PFC in this process is proposed. Plasticity in the central c ircuitry of emotion is considered, and implications of data showing experie nce-induced changes in the hippocampus for understanding psychopathology an d stress-related symptoms are discussed. Two key forms of affective plastic ity are described-context and regulation. A role for the hippocampus in con text-dependent normal and dysfunctional emotional responding is proposed. F inally, implications of these data for understanding the impact on neural c ircuitry of interventions to promote positive affect and on mechanisms that govern health and disease are considered.