Tr: LeDoux' dual pathway

apparently this one got lost in cyberspace. So here goes again, slightly rewritten:

Dear Brian, Gabrielle and all.

Here's a very brief summary of LeDoux' "dual pathway" model. He speaks about the low road and the high road (the one that the cognitive therapists use).

Both pathways start the same:

Information ("energy") -> senses -> sensory thalamus.

>From here the "low" (and fast) road goes directly to the amygdala, "allowing information to reach it very quickly, but only with minimal processing".

The high road goes first to the cortex (-> more differentiated processing) and *then* to the amygdala.

The information of the "high road" can implement or correct the information having first reached the amygdala. For instance by stopping emotional dynamics started already by the "low road".

So along this model the cognitivists aren't quite wrong; they just are "too late"; cognitive therapy works to *control* emotional processes that already have started!

Does ET change the "low" road?

Maarten

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Received on Wed Feb 12 2003 - 08:22:18 GMT