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Difference between Amygdala and Hippocampus
The amygdala is a brain area associated with emotional and motivational processing. The hippocampus is a brain region with important roles in learning, memory formation, and the expression of specific behaviours associated with emotional reactions.
What is Amygdala?
The Greek term "amygdala" literally translates to "almond," from whence we get the English name. It's a tiny kidney bean-sized structure in the centre of your brain, and it has the shape of an almond. This region is called the medial temporal lobe. It is a component of the limbic system and exists as a paired structure (one in each hemisphere of the brain).
Some of the many roles played by the amygdala are as follows −
Detects Stress − Emotional stressors (stimuli that might generate worry, sadness, etc.) and biological stresses are both detected by the amygdala (stimuli causing illness or injury). It warns us when it detects anything potentially hazardous or frightening. It's the engine that powers our "flight or fight" reaction. Therefore, this role is essential for continued existence (Bezdek & Telzer, 2017). Overstimulation of the amygdala, however, can result in "amygdala hijack," a state in which people have "lost it" and no longer have any control over their emotions or behaviours and often act in ways they later come to regret.
Helps Regulate Emotion − Diverse sections of the amygdala are responsible for inducing different emotions, such as fear, anger, or calmness (Open Learn, 2020).
Encodes memories − A study suggests that the amygdala may be directly stimulated to improve picture recognition. Furthermore, it acts as a repository for sentimental recollections; it appears to assign a label of some sort to an emotionally significant experience, making it easier to recall. Emotionally intense situations have been connected to survival, at least in part, by evolutionary psychologists (Sukel, 2018).
What is Hippocampus?
The hippocampus is a region of the brain that plays a role in forming memories, facilitating learning, and eliciting actions associated with particular emotions.
The hippocampus has three distinct regions—the ventral, dorsal, and intermediate. The hippocampus, like the amygdala, is located in the centre of the temporal lobe, but its form is that of a seahorse rather than a little almond. Although it shares the amygdala's location in the limbic system, its structure and function set it apart. Due of its proximity to the amygdala, the hippocampus is often mistaken for the amygdala.
The hippocampus has a role in both spatial and event memory. In this way, the hippocampus plays a crucial role in the processes of learning and memory retention. While the hippocampus plays a role in memory formation, it is not the location where memories are kept and it does not participate in the formation of all types of memories.
The hippocampus is thought to interact with certain regions of the amygdala to regulate feelings of anxiety and sadness, in addition to its more well-known roles in spatial memory and declarative memory. In reality, the amygdala's basolateral region communicates with the hippocampus's ventral region.
Differences: Amygdala and Hippocampus
The following table highlights the major differences between Amygdala and Hippocampus −
Characteristics |
Amygdala |
Hippocampus |
|---|---|---|
Definition |
The amygdala is a part of the brain that is involved with emotions and motivation. |
The hippocampus is a region of the brain which functions in creating some types of memory, and is important in learning, and certain emotional responses. |
Location |
The amygdala occurs as two areas found in the middle part of the temporal lobes of the brain in front of the hippocampus. |
The hippocampus occurs as two areas found in the middle part of the temporal lobes behind the amygdala. |
Shape of Structure |
The amygdala is the shape of an almond. |
The hippocampus is the shape of a seahorse. |
Anatomical Divisions |
The three divisions of the Amygdala are the centromedial nuclei, cortical-like nuclei, and basolateral nuclei. |
The three divisions of the Hippocampus are ventral, dorsal, and intermediate regions. |
Conclusion
Emotion, such as aggression and fear, and behaviors linked to rewards and punishment, are functions of the amygdala.
The functions of the hippocampus include the memory of facts and events as well as spatial memory; it also, therefore, important in learning and it brings about certain behaviors linked to emotional responses.
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