Volume 2: December 18, 2022
Written/Edited by: Fidha
How Does Emotion Work in the Brain?
Emotion is one of the main highlights of human nature; it exemplifies the humanity of people and the complexity of the human brain. However, one of the problems with emotions is that they may become difficult to understand, manage, and regulate, especially for teenagers. This is because our emotions are primarily guided by the limbic system, which functions with other parts of the brain that generate hormones and neurotransmitters related to emotions. There are three structure in the brain that appear to be the most closely linked with emotions: the amygdala (an almond-shaped part of the brain that is heavily involved with emotions), the insular cortex, and a structure in the midbrain called the periaqueductal gray. Additionally, the Frontal Lobe also handles human emotions and personality.
Although neurobiology is one of the many ways to explain human emotions, there are also other factors including environmental responses, stress, childhood experiences, and others. However, even with all of these difficult factors in our daily lives that make emotional regulation difficult, there are things we can do to better understand, clearly express, and effectively regulate our emotions. Things you can do are as simple as journalling and effective breathing/meditation. Journalling is especially helpful because it helps you write down what may seem confusing on paper and, perhaps, re-reading your words will allow you to clearly analyze how you felt in a stressful situation. It is one of the best ways to understand how you really feel in a certain situation, even if it may be difficult to do.
Case Study - Phineas Gage
Phineas Gage[1] was a man whose accident sparked a generation of psychologists to invest research into studies on the frontal lobe and limbic system. Gage was a 25-year-old man at the time of his injury that was employed by a railroad construction company. He was a highly regarded member of his time, however, in an incident with gunpowder, the friction applied to a bar projected the it through Gage's skull at an incredibly high speed. The bar entered his left cheek, destroying his eye and park of the left frontal portion of the brain. The bar also left his head at the top of the skull on the right side. He survived, however, a piece of his brain was completely gone, and weeks after Gage's accident, his family and friends noticed a substantial change in his personality and behavior; Gage was reportedlyfound to be frequently angered and had little to no control over his emotions. This study on Gage led researchers to find that damage to the frontal has direct correlation to emotion and behavioral regulation.
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[1] Teles, R. V. (2020, December). Phineas Gage's Great Legacy. Dementia & Neuropsychologia. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7735047/
[2] “Your Emotional Brain: AMNH.” American Museum of Natural History, https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/brain-the-inside-story/your-emotional-brain.
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