Shortcuts for fear in hierarchical visual systems

Abstract

It is crucial to our survival that we can rapidly predict, detect, and respond to potential threats in our environment. As highly visual creatures, we have developed sophisticated neural networks for processing visual information about the world around us. Both the visual system and the amygdala are arguably the most thoroughly studied components of the brain and yet there is considerable controversy over how these two systems interact to rapidly respond to signs of threat. The work presented in this thesis aimed to resolve this controversy by investigating the structural and effective neural connectivity underlying rapid responses to fearful faces, with a particular focus on