Affective neuroscience studies the neural basis of emotion, identifying specific brain areas that play a role in emotion processing. It has applications in mental health treatment, music therapy, and meditation, with potential for improved treatment and regulation of emotions.
Affective neuroscience is the study of the neural basis of emotion. It combines the principles of neuroscience with various psychological applications, such as studies of emotion, mood and personality. The human nervous system contains neurons that researchers in this field believe may hold the key to a better understanding of feelings and emotional impulses.
Much of the investigation involved in affective neuroscience revolves around identifying specific parts of the brain that play roles in human emotion. The amygdala, anterior cingulate, cerebellum, insula, and prefrontal cortex are among the brain areas scientists consider vital for processing emotions. Each part has a different function. The amygdala is thought to be the production center for many emotions, particularly fear, while the cerebellum and prefrontal cortex act as regulators for emotion. The insula may be instrumental in how the physical body processes emotions; a section of the forebrain known as the ventral striatum may play a role in addiction.
The fields of psychology, psychiatry, and psychophysiology – a school of psychology concerned with the physiological roots of psychosis – feature heavily in the study of affective neuroscience and vice versa. Those working in mental health treatment and research will greatly benefit from advances in affective neuroscience. Better identification of the neural underpinnings of emotion can lead to improved forms of treatment, drugs, and perhaps even cures. This is especially true for mental illnesses on the affective spectrum, a category of conditions that affect bipolar, unipolar, and schizophrenic patients to a greater extent; isolating the neural causes of this bout of disease could further improve treatment by leaps and bounds.
An area of interest to those involved in affective neuroscience is the field of music therapy. In neurological music therapy, researchers study the neural effects of music on the brain. Experts are particularly interested in how the brain works with and without music and how it affects behavior, emotions and general functioning.
Another area of study undertaken by affective neuroscience is that of meditation. When the mind is in a meditative state, significant positive changes occur at the neural level. These changes greatly affect emotions, responses, and the intensity of stress. By identifying the parts of the brain most affected by meditation, researchers infer that individuals can regulate the neural circuits of emotion. The levels of regulation, the research suggests, differ between individuals and between experienced and inexperienced meditators.
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