Tactile perception on one's own face is enhanced when viewing a fearful face being touched – as opposed to just approached – by fingers, compared to viewing other expressions, a phenomenon known as the emotional modulation of Visual Remapping of Touch (eVRT). This effect seems to be related to a preferential activation of the somatosensory system in response to threat. To test the contribution of the amygdala to this mechanism, a group of patients with unilateral lesions to the amygdala, a control group of patients with lesions in the extra‐temporal regions, and a group of healthy participants completed an eVRT paradigm. They were required to detect bilateral tactile stimulation on their own cheeks, while viewing fearful, happy, or neutral faces being touched or just approached by fingers. Healthy participants and control patients confirmed that viewing a neutral face being touched – as opposed to just approached – by fingers increases tactile detection on one's own face (i.e., the typical VRT effect) and that this effect is enhanced for fearful faces, compared to neutral and happy faces. However, in patients with amygdala lesion, although the standard VRT effect was preserved for neutral faces, this was disrupted for fearful faces. This result indicates that the preferential activation of the somatosensory cortices in response to threat relies on structural integrity of the amygdala.

中文翻译：

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杏仁核病变后，触觉感知的恐惧特异性增强被破坏。

与查看其他表情相比，当查看用手指触摸（而不是刚刚触摸）的一张恐惧面孔时，对自己面部的触觉感得到了增强，这种现象被称为“触摸视觉重映射”（eVRT）的情绪调节。这种作用似乎与响应威胁而优先激活体感系统有关。为了测试杏仁核对这种机制的贡献，一组单侧病变的杏仁核患者，一组颞外病变的对照组和一组健康参与者完成了eVRT范例。他们被要求在自己的脸颊上检测到双侧触觉刺激，同时观察被手指触摸或接近的恐惧，快乐或中性的面孔。健康的参与者和对照组患者确认，用手指触摸中性面部（而不是刚接触）会增加对自己面部的触觉检测（即典型的VRT效果），并且与中性相比，对于恐惧的面部，这种效果会增强和幸福的脸。然而，在杏仁核病变患者中，尽管中性面部保留了标准的VRT效果，但可怕的面部却被打断了。该结果表明，体感皮质响应于威胁的优先激活依赖于杏仁核的结构完整性。相较于中性和幸福的面孔。然而，在杏仁核病变患者中，尽管中性面部保留了标准的VRT效果，但可怕的面部却被打断了。该结果表明，体感皮质响应于威胁的优先激活依赖于杏仁核的结构完整性。相较于中性和幸福的面孔。然而，在杏仁核病变患者中，尽管中性面部保留了标准的VRT效果，但可怕的面部却被打断了。该结果表明，体感皮质响应于威胁的优先激活依赖于杏仁核的结构完整性。