Is the amygdala a general threat detector?
Several classes of threat have been proposed on the basis of evolutionary arguments and the existence of specific phobias: predator threats (e.g. snakes); social threats (e.g. menacing humans); and physical/object threats (e.g. lightening). While it is now accepted that the amygdala plays an important role in processing emotional stimuli, and perhaps threatening stimuli in particular, the extent to which the amygdala is involved in processing different forms of threat remains unclear.
