The amygdala is a small, almond-shaped structure in the limbic system of our brain, known for its key function in the cascade of events associated with detecting threat. When the thalamus communicates sensory information to the amygdala, it, in turn, initiates the sympathetic nervous system’s fight/flight response.

The amygdala is located in the medial temporal lobe and contains three nuclei: the laterobasal, the centromedial, and the superficial nucleus. Each is associated with unique patterns of connectivity with different brain regions, including the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and insula, amongst others (Bzdok et al., 2012).

Through its connection with the hippocampus, the amygdala encodes threatening contingencies into our memory to help us avoid future threats (LeDoux, 1996). The various parts of the amygdala stimulate, what Carter (1998) referred to as various survival strategies, mainly fight, flight, and appeasement.

How is the amygdala relevant to autism? Autism is popularly perceived as a genetic........

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