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Meta-Analysis
. 2017 Jan;222(1):619-634.
doi: 10.1007/s00429-016-1239-4. Epub 2016 Jun 3.

Task modulated brain connectivity of the amygdala: a meta-analysis of psychophysiological interactions

Xin Di  1 , Jia Huang  2 , Bharat B Biswal  3
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Task modulated brain connectivity of the amygdala: a meta-analysis of psychophysiological interactions

Xin Di et al. Brain Struct Funct. 2017 Jan.

Abstract

Understanding functional connectivity of the amygdala with other brain regions, especially task modulated connectivity, is a critical step toward understanding the role of the amygdala in emotional processes and the interactions between emotion and cognition. The present study performed coordinate-based meta-analysis on studies of task modulated connectivity of the amygdala which used psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analysis. We first analyzed 49 PPI studies on different types of tasks using activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis. Widespread cortical and subcortical regions showed consistent task modulated connectivity with the amygdala, including the medial frontal cortex, bilateral insula, anterior cingulate, fusiform gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, thalamus, and basal ganglia. These regions were in general overlapped with those showed coactivations with the amygdala, suggesting that these regions and amygdala are not only activated together, but also show different levels of interactions during tasks. Further analyses with subsets of PPI studies revealed task specific functional connectivities with the amygdala that were modulated by fear processing, face processing, and emotion regulation. These results suggest a dynamic modulation of connectivity upon task demands, and provide new insights on the functions of the amygdala in different affective and cognitive processes. The meta-analytic approach on PPI studies may offer a framework toward systematical examinations of task modulated connectivity.

Keywords: Amygdala; Connectivity; Dynamic connectivity; Psychophysiological interaction; Task modulation; fMRI.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Regions that showed consistent task modulation of amygdala connectivity across 50 experiments of PPI analyses using the amygdala as seeds. The activation likelihood map was approached at uncorrected p < 0.01 and a cluster-level p < 0.05. Numbers near each slice represent MNI (Montreal Neurological Institute) z coordinates
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Regions that showed consistent increased (hot color) and decreased (winter color) connectivity with the amygdala in fear processing (a), face processing (b), and emotion regulation (c). The activation likelihood maps were aaproached at uncorrected p < 0.01 and a cluster-level p < 0.05. Numbers near each slice represent MNI (Montreal Neurological Institute) z coordinates
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Regions that showed coactivations with the amygdala. The activation likelihood map was approached at uncorrected p < 0.01 and a cluster-level p < 0.05. Numbers near each slice represent MNI (Montreal Neurological Institute) z coordinates
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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Appendix: Studies that were included in the current meta-analysis

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