Neural mechanisms of emotion and thought

情感和思维的神经系统应该激活和控制大脑中其他较低的功能模块，如注意力、识别、学习和记忆以及运动系统，以便大脑作为一个连贯的统一系统工作。也就是说，我们的假设是，思想和情感是整合大脑中其他功能模块的高级系统。在本研究中，我们从实验和计算的角度研究了大脑中思想和情感的原理。在实验方法（神经生理学和神经心理学）中，分析了边缘系统和额叶的神经元活动，以阐明这些区域在使用清醒行为的动物操纵信息流中的作用。对局灶性脑损伤患者的行为反应进行分析，以定位视觉和记忆系统等功能模块。在计算方法中，模拟了涉及思维和识别/记忆的额叶和颞叶，以研究思想和情感控制信息流的原理。此外，使用光学记录技术研究了海马形成在记忆和感觉系统之间相互作用中的作用。实验研究表明，前额叶神经元通过对工作记忆和中央执行系统的贡献而深入参与思维，边缘系统中的神经元对感觉刺激的生物学评价和情绪向行动的转化具有重要作用。仿真研究提出了一种基于自组织和情感思维基本模型的发展多脑图模型。在未来，实验和计算方法的联合研究应该揭示思想和情感绑定大脑中其他功能模块的原理。

The neural systems for emotion and thought are supposed to activate and control other lower functional modules in the brain such as attention, recognition, learning and memory, and motor systems so that the brain works as a coherent unified system. That is, our hypothesis is that thought and emotion are higher systems integrating other functional modules in the brain. In the present study, we investigated principles in the brain for thought and emotion from the experimental and computational approaches. In the experimental approach (neurophysiology and neuropsychology), neuronal activity in the limbic system and frontal lobe was analyzed to elucidate the role of these areas in manipulating information flow using awake behaving animals. In humans with focal brain lesions behavioral responses were analyzed to localize functional modules such as visual and memory systems. In the computational approaches, the frontal and temporal lobes involved in thought and recognition/memory were simulated to investigate principles for thought and emotion to control information flow. Furthermore, a role of the hippocampal formation in interaction between memory and sensory systems was investigated using an optical recording technique. The experimental studies suggest that the prefrontal neurons are deeply involved in thought by contributing to working memory and central executive system, and the neurons in the limbic system are important for biological evaluation of a sensory stimulus and for conversion of emotion to action. The simulation studies proposed a developing multiple brain map model based on the self-organization and basic models of emotion and thought. In the future, joint studies with experimental and computational approaches should uncover the principles for thought and emotion to bind other functional modules in the brain.