Fear Recognition and the Neural Basis of Social Cognition

Abstract

Recent developments in cognitive neuroscience and neurobiology emphasise the interface between our emotions, our feelings and our ability to interact appropriately in social situations. The neural basis of social cognition is subject to intensive research in both humans and non-human primates, research that is providing exciting, provocative and yet consistent findings. Centre stage is the role of efferent and afferent connectivity between the amygdala and neocortical brain regions, now believed to be critical for the processing of social information. Recent research suggests that a sub-cortical neural pathway, routed through the amygdala, may turn out to be a key player in the mystery of why humans are so prone to disorders of social cognition. This pathway responds to direct eye contact, one of many classes of potential threat. In humans, arousal evoked by this exquisitely social stimulus is modulated and controlled by a variety of specific cortical regions. Neural circuits that evolved for the purpose of fear detection in other's faces, an essentially threatening stimulus, are now associated with the acquisition of social skills and appropriate responsiveness in social encounters.

Constructing an understanding of mind: The development of children's social understanding within social interaction

“…Recent theorising and research on infant development underscores how early and in what contexts the sense of agency and relatedness may be observed to thrive or suffer (Koulomzin et al, 2002;Schore 1994;Stern 1985;Trevarthen 2003;Tronick & Weinberg 1997). Further data from diverse sources, such as facial affect recognition (Skuse 2003), are converging to elucidate a more detailed understanding of emotional development.…”

Aggression in young children with concurrent callous–unemotional traits: can the neurosciences inform progress and innovation in treatment approaches?

“…This automatic attention to the eyes of other people occurs very early in the newborn child and is intricately involved in attachment processes and the development of many human qualities such as the development of empathy and theory of mind (e.g. see Skuse 2003). What happens when a child lacks the automatic tendency to focus on the eyes of others?…”

Theories of Autism

“…Thus early in development, children may have difficulty labelling neutral faces, which may be interpreted as ambiguous, giving rise to amygdala activation, whereas adults show greater amygdala activation in response to fearful facial expressions. Skuse has described an important evolutionary connection between emotions, feelings and ability to interact appropriately in social situations [41]. He notes that the amygdala responds specifically to eye contact in adults and is maximally activated by exaggerated wide-open eyes, associated with fearful expressions.…”

“…According to Skuse a crucial component of the modulating circuitry in humans is the recruitment of language centres, and the conscious processing of a 'feeling' response. Thus neural circuitry that evolved for the purpose of fear detection in others' faces are now associated with the development of social skills [41].…”