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Scientific Lectures //

Title: The Role of prefrontal cortex in emotion and social behavior: Evidence from brain lesion pati

Mike Koenigs, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Presented:  March 8, 2013 

ABSTRACT: Humans are clearly not entirely ‘rational’ creatures, whose behaviors are strictly determined by universal social, moral, or economic laws.  Emotions are known to play a pivotal role in determining our behavior and shaping our individual personalities.  Neurological patients who have undergone dramatic changes in personality as a result of their brain injuries are a unique source of data in this regard.  This talk will describe research showing that damage to a particular area of the brain—the ventromedial prefrontal cortex—is associated with deficits in emotional responsiveness, moral judgment, and economic decision-making.  These findings may be applied to better understand the neurobiological basis of affective disorders such as depression, anxiety, and psychopathy.

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