anterior amygdalar area (AAA)

The term anterior amygdalar area refers to a cytoarchitecturally defined part of the rostral amygdala. In the human ( Mai-1997 ) and the macaque ( Paxinos-2009a ) it is located dorsomedially; it is bounded medially by the entorhinal sulcus and laterally by the part of the ventral claustrum known as the endopiriform nucleus. Proceeding caudally its upper (in human) or lateral (in macaque) boundary is formed by the central amygdalar nucleus. Its ventral boundary is formed by the periamygdalar cortex, the medial amygdalar nucleus and the accessory basal nucleus. In the rat ( Paxinos-2009b ) and the mouse ( Franklin-2008 ) it is bounded by the same structures except that part of its rostromedial boundary is with the basal nucleus and part of the lower boundary is with the nucleus of the olfactory tract. Some authors regard the part of the area that meets the Brain surface in the rat and mouse as belonging to the medial amygdalar nucleus ( Swanson-2004; Hof-2000 ). Classically the anterior amygdalar area has been classified as part of the corticomedial nuclear group of the amygdala (Click 'Locus in Brain Hierarchy' below; Carpenter-1983 ). In the Functional CNS Model - Rat it is part of the extended striatum ( Swanson-2004 ).

Also known as: anterior amygdaloid area, Area amygdaloidea anterior, Area anterior amygdalae, Area amydaliformis anterior, anterior amygdalar area

NeuroNames ID: 239

All Names & Sources

Showing 14 synonym(s)

Name:

área amigdalina anterior

Language:

Spanish

Organism:

human

Citation:

edicion 4, Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore; traducción de Editorial Medica Panamericana, Buenos Aires, efectuada por el Dr. Alejandro Kaufman

Source Title:

Neuroanatomía Fundamentos

Name:

переднее миндалевидное поле

Language:

Russian

Organism:

human

Source:

Baev-2000

Citation:

Moskva: Meditsina, 2000.

Source Title:

Magnitno-Resonansnaia Tomografiia Golovnogo Mozga: Normal'naia Anatomiia

Name:

anterior amygdaloid area

Language:

English

Organism:

human

Citation:

Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins Co., 1983

Source Title:

Human Neuroanatomy

Name:

anterior amygdaloid area

Language:

English

Organism:

Macaca fascicularis

Source:

Amaral-1992

Citation:

Chapter 1, pp. 1-66 in The Amygdala: Neurobiological Aspects of Emotion, Memory, and Mental Dysfunction, Aggleton, J.P. (ed),Wiley-Liss, New York, 1992

Source Title:

Anatomical organization of the primate amygdaloid complex

Name:

anterior amygdaloid area

Language:

English

Organism:

rat

Source:

Bowden-1997

Citation:

Source Title:

A digital Rosetta stone for primate brain terminology

Name:

Area amygdaloidea anterior

Language:

Latin

Organism:

human

Source:

Nomina-1983

Citation:

Fifth Edition, Williams and Wilkins Co., Baltimore, 1983

Source Title:

Nomina Anatomica

Name:

Area amygdaloidea anterior

Language:

Latin

Organism:

Macaca fuscata

Source:

Kusama-1970

Citation:

University Park Press, Baltimore, Maryland, 1970

Source Title:

Stereotaxic Atlas Of The Brain of Macaca fuscata

Name:

Area anterior amygdalae

Language:

Latin

Organism:

Macaca fascicularis

Source:

Shantha-1968

Citation:

Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins, 1968

Source Title:

A Stereotaxic Atlas Of The Java Monkey Brain (Macaca irus)

Name:

Area amydaliformis anterior

Language:

Latin

Organism:

human

Source:

Riley-1943

Citation:

Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins Co., 1943

Source Title:

An Atlas Of The Basal Ganglia, Brain Stem And Spinal Cord (Based On Myelin-Stained Material)

Name:

area amigdaloidea anteriore

Language:

Italian

Organism:

human

Citation:

EdiSes, s.r.l.- Napoli, 1995

Source Title:

Fondamenti di Neuroanatomia

Name:

AAA

Language:

acronym

Organism:

mouse

Source:

Hof-2000

Citation:

Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2000

Source Title:

Comparative Cytoarchitectonic Atlas of the C57BL/6 and 129/Sv Mouse Brains

Name:

anterior amygdalar area

Language:

English

Organism:

rat

Source:

Swanson-2004

Citation:

Third Edition, Elsevier Academic Press, Oxford, 2004

Source Title:

Brain Maps: Structure of the Rat Brain.

Name:

AAA

Language:

acronym

Organism:

rat

Source:

Swanson-2004

Citation:

Third Edition, Elsevier Academic Press, Oxford, 2004

Source Title:

Brain Maps: Structure of the Rat Brain.

Name:

AA

Language:

acronym

Organism:

Macaca mulatta

Citation:

Amsterdam: Elsevier-Academic Press. 2009

Source Title:

The Rhesus Monkey Brain, Second Edition

Species With The Structure
Equivalent By Human Macaque Rat Mouse
Topology Has The Structure Has The Structure Has The Structure Has The Structure

Showing 9 record(s)

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Their Name:

anterior amygdaloid area

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Their Name:

Area amydaliformis anterior

Source:

Riley-1943

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Their Name:

Area amygdaloidea anterior

Source:

Nomina-1983

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Their Name:

anterior amygdaloid area

Source:

Amaral-1992

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Their Name:

Area anterior amygdalae

Source:

Shantha-1968

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Their Name:

Area amygdaloidea anterior

Source:

Kusama-1970

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Rattus (rat)

Their Name:

anterior amygdalar area

Source:

Swanson-2004

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Rattus (rat)

Their Name:

anterior amygdaloid area

Source:

Bowden-1997

Basis:

Topology

Has Equivalent:

Yes

Organism:

Mus (mouse)

Their Name:

anterior amygdalar area

Source:

Hof-2000

Models Where It Appears
Structural CNS Model - Macaque

Brain structures of the macaque are illustrated in BrainInfo’s NeuroMaps macaque brain atlas. Structures are grouped by proximity in a hierarchy corresponding to the central nervous system hierarchy of NeuroNames ( Bowden-1995 Martin-2000 ). Structures in the NeuroMaps atlas are based on the segmentation of an MRI of the brain of a 3-year old male rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta). The atlas is most useful for targeting structures for implantating electrodes and chemtrodes. Updated 29 Oct 2025.

Functional CNS Model - Rat

The Functional CNS Model - Rat (FMrat) ( Swanson-2004) is one of three hierarchical models representing the internal organization of the central nervous system (CNS). The others are the Structural CNS Model - Human (SThmn) and the Functional CNS Model - Human (FMhmn). The FMrat model represents the basic organization of the mouse ( Hof-2000 AMBA-2024 ) and, presumably, other rodents. Functional CNS models differ from structural models in that structures are defined and named by connectivity rather than by proximity to other structures at the same level. Functional models are more useful for representing longitudinal components of are grouped based on information drawn from multiple neuroscientific disciplines. such as connections, neurochemical characteristics, and role in physiogical and behavioral processes. While the Functional Model was developed primarily for an atlas of the rat brain ( Swanson-2004 ), the hierarchical organization of structures is for the most part applicable to the human, macaque, mouse and other mammalian brains as well. Structures at lower levels of the Functional CNS hierarchy are largely the same as in the Classical and Developmental Models, i.e., they were originally identified by stains for gray matter (Nissl substance) and white matter (myelin). At the next higher level they are grouped into basic connectional and functional systems of the CNS, such as the subcortical sensory systems, the brainstem motor system and the behavioral state system. At the highest levels CNS structures are grouped on the basis of dissection and embryologic precursors into cerebrum ( cerebral cortex and cerebral nuclei ), cerebellum, and cerebrospinal trunk.