The developing amygdala: a student of the world and a teacher of the cortex

Abstract

Amygdala and prefrontal cortex (PFC) function subserving emotional behavior has largely been examined from the perspective of their adult roles, with a tremendous focus on the regulatory influence of the PFC over amygdala activity. Here we consider the circuit's function in its developmental context, when maximal learning about emotion and incentives from the environment is necessary. We argue that during development the amygdala exhibits an overwhelming influence over the developmental destiny of circuitry function, and the amygdala's learning and experiential history are conveyed to the cortex to modulate subsequent PFC development. We present recent findings on the different developmental trajectories of the amygdala and PFC, their functional connectivity, and the timing of environmental influences as evidence supporting our position.

Figure 1

The relationship between amygdala and prefrontal cortex from different developmental vantage points.

Figure 2

(top) Posited sensitive periods for development, with amygdala. (middle) Hierarchical organization of amygdala and amygdala-PFC development, with an influence (arrow) of amygdala development on the nature of PFC-amygdala development. (bottom) Model for the nature of amygdala-PFC connectivity across development.