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Amygdala-Prefrontal Connectivity

Meaning

This term describes the functional and structural communication pathways linking the amygdala, the brain’s primary center for emotional processing and fear response, with the prefrontal cortex (PFC), the region responsible for executive functions like rational thought and emotional regulation. In hormonal health, this connectivity is crucial for managing stress and mood, as the PFC modulates the amygdala’s output to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Optimal connectivity ensures a measured, adaptive physiological response to stressors rather than an exaggerated, dysregulated one.