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Limbic system: what is it and how does it work?
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п»їLimbic system: what is it and how does it work?
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Our brain is one of the most marvelous structures in our body. So much so, that although it is one of the most studied parts of our body, there is still much to be discovered about how it works. In spite of this, we know that within it we have several systems that have specialized in a part of the functioning of our behavior. One of the most important systems is known as the limbic system.
The first time the limbic system was mentioned, although in a less conceptualized and more primitive way than we know it now, was because Paul Broca named an area located near the pineal gland, i.e. in the limbus or border, the area of "the great limbic lobe". Hence the logic of its name, because it is located at the limbo or edge of other structures already known at that time.
But the limbic system, as we know it today, was conceptualized by the physiologist MacLean in 1949. He expanded the primary conceptualization of this system initiated by Papez in 1939, giving it its present name. MacLean decided on the expansion of the number of structures that compose it because he considered that in our evolution the development of the cerebral cortex was just as important as the development of our emotional brain.
"Happiness is a mental state activated by the limbic system."
-Antonio Damasio
This is why the limbic system is known as the emotional brain. But, is the term emotional brain totally correct, what are the actual components of the Limbic System, is its functioning so important? If you read on, you will find the answers to these questions!
What are the main structures that make up the limbic system? The limbic system is composed of a multitude of interconnected brain structures. This makes it complex to determine precisely which structures make up the limbic system and the specific work of each one of them. Although studies suggest that, with greater support among scientists, the structures that make up the limbic system and their functions are as follows:
HypothalamusLocated at the base of the brain, below the thalamus. Specifically, it is located on both sides of the ventral portion of the third ventricle, or what is the same, towards the center and internally in our brain.
It is a small brain structure, but composed of a multitude of nuclei and fibers that is essential to ensure our survival, as it is in charge of our autonomic nervous system and our endocrine system. It also organizes the most important behaviors linked to the survival of the species: fight, feed, flight and reproduction.
One of the most important structures of the hypothalamus in the functioning of the limbic system are the mammillary bodies. The mammillary bodies are a profusion of the fundus of the brain at the posterior end of the hypothalamus. They contain several important hypothalamic nuclei and are responsible for the reception of impulses from the amygdala and hippocampus and the forwarding of these impulses to the thalamus. This makes them an important pathway for the reception and transmission of information.
HippocampusA structure of the forebrain, located in the temporal lobe, which has a characteristic "seahorse" shape. It is one of the most ancestral regions of the human brain and is therefore the main structure linked to the hypothalamus in the regulation of the basic processes of our survival.
Moreover, the hippocampus is so important that without it we could not have an identity since it is an essential area for the proper functioning of our memory. In particular, remote memory, which is what provides us with the memory of everything that has happened in the past, and therefore partly shapes our personality, molded on the basis of our experiences. In addition, the hippocampus is also a very important structure in learning processes.
As for the limbic system, the hippocampus is the main structure in charge of emotional memory. This means that every event we have lived, felt and experienced is filtered by the hippocampus, which together with the hypothalamus, makes it possible for us to remember not only the experiences, but also what we feel associated with them.
AmygdalaThe amygdala or amygdaloid complex is located in the lateral ventricle of the temporal lobe, specifically inside the rostral temporal lobe. This means that it is part of the so-called deep brain, the one where basic emotions or the survival instinct prevail. It is composed of three main nuclei: basolateral nuclei, central nucleus and corticomedial nuclei.
Its main function is to integrate emotions with the corresponding physiological and behavioral response patterns. Its connections not only produce an emotional reaction, but due to its close connection with the frontal lobe it also allows the inhibition of behaviors, thus participating in the well-known emotional hijacking or "Amygdala Hijack".
Within the limbic system, it is not only the captain of our emotions, but also, associated with the hippocampus, it generates emotional memories. But this is not all, together with the Hypothalamus, it impregnates with emotional color our basic processes, associating anxiety or negative emotions to food, sleep or sexual behavior.
Fornix or trigoneIt is a bundle or set of axons in the form of an arc that connects the hippocampus with other encephalic regions. For the functioning of the limbic system, its connection with the mammillary bodies and the hippocampus stands out. Thus, this arc is the main responsible for the transmission of information between the main structures of the limbic system.
Limbic cortexThe limbic cortex is located in the medial temporal lobe of our brain. It is closely related to memory, specifically with the consolidation and retrieval of declarative memories: both episodic and semantic. In addition, like the Fornix, it is a pathway connecting information between different brain structures.
Other structures associated with the limbic systemAs mentioned above, not all neurologists and neuropsychologists agree on the composition of the limbic system due to the complexity of its functioning. Therefore, some professionals may also take into account, to explain its functioning, the following structures:
Circumcumvolution of the cingulum: provides a pathway from the thalamus to the hippocampus and is associated with olfactory memory and pain recall.
Septal area: it participates in the inhibition of the limbic system and the level of alertness when selective attention requires it. It also seems to intervene to relate memory, motivation, emotion and alertness, modulating pleasurable sensations and external activation states.
Ventral tegmental area: considered one of the reinforcement centers par excellence, thus intervening in the regulation of pleasure and addictions.
Prefrontal cortex: which is the rational part par excellence of our brain and the one that distinguishes us from animals. Its function related to the limbic system is to silence or stop the emotional "impulses" coming from it. It is in charge of controlling our impulses and its development is one of those that is completed later in the development of our brain.
Is it correct to speak of the Limbic System as the emotional brain? For many authors it is a completely correct term since the main function of the Limbic System, as we have seen, is emotional regulation. In fact, historically, the main function assigned to this system only contemplated the management of emotions.
Currently, however, the view of this system as the emotional brain is considered to be very reductionist. Different investigations have revealed a multitude of functions in which the limbic system is particularly relevant. Among the metabolic functions are thermal regulation, vegetative and reproductive functions. And among the survival functions, its influence on emotions and feelings, anger and hatred, fear, passion and sadness, and memory stand out (Saavedra, DГaz, ZГєГ±iga, Navia, & Zamora, 2015).
As we have seen, this system is responsible for a multitude of functions, including those essential for survival, represented, above all, by the hypothalamus. So without it we could not live and a sign of this are some of the most striking diseases that can occur if any of the structures that compose it is injured:
Alzheimer's disease: it is caused by a degeneration of different brain structures, especially the hippocampus, producing in this case the progressive loss of memory among other symptoms.
Kluver-Bucy syndrome: bilateral involvement of the amygdala and temporal lobes. It produces agnosia or lack of visual recognition, hypersexuality and hyperphagia, among other symptoms.
Amnesia: mainly anterograde due to hippocampal involvement.
Alexithymia: Inability to express and recognize emotions, both our own and those of others.
These alterations, among many others, inform us of the importance of the limbic system in the different aspects of our behavior, from memory to functions as basic as hunger. Therefore, it is a structure whose functioning is one of the most important within our brain.
Bibliographical References:
Abril Alonso, ГЃgueda del. (2005) Fundamentos biolГіgicos de la conducta. Madrid: Sanz y Torres.
Carlson, N. (2014). FisiologГa de la conducta. Madrid: Pearson.
Rosenweig, M.; Breedlove, S.; Watson, N. (2005) Psychobiology. An introduction to Behavioral, Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience. Barcelona: Ariel.
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