How do I remember the function of the Amygdala?

Question

In Psychology, Neuroscience has become prevalent in helping people who have experienced traumatic events. It is important for people in the field of Psychology to understand how trauma impacts the brain, body, and behaviors. The Amygdala is significant in processing traumatic events, but how can you remember what it does?

Answer 1

My trick for students is to connect the name, shape, and the function.

1. “Amygdala=Alarm.” Both begin with the letter “A.” The amygdala is like your brain’s Alarm. It senses threats and activates the fear response, including fight or flight.

Whenever you see the word “amygdala,” associate it with “alarm-gdala.”

1. Shape connection: The amygdala is almond-shaped (the word “amygdala” means “almond” in Greek, amygdalē). Imagine a scared almond, jumpy and alert, setting off alarms about every small thing.
2. “A is for Anger and Anxiety”: since the amygdala handles fear and rage emotions, it’s helpful to make associations based on the letter A.

Link to emotional memory: it also associates memories with emotions, which is why you have such strong recollections of events that frightened you or were emotional in any way. You could imagine a small almond-shaped brain structure being a guard, stamping an “URGENT” label on anything frightening or emotional that happens to you.

Answer 2

Use the M in amygdala to remember that this area of the brain is associated with Memory, eMotional responses, and decision-Making.

Emotional responses that are tied to the amygdala include fear. This is because the amygdala is the alarm for danger... and the fight or flight response... our survival.