Concerning “top down” processes, the OFC appears to exhibit a regulating effect on the amygdala and the brain stem (Bechara, 2005; Ghashghaei & Barbas, 2002; Hariri, Drabant, & Weinberger, 2006; Lewis & Todd, 2007). The OFC can interrupt the direct connection between emotion and response: OFC activity overrides emotional responses, apparently by providing information and a bias toward long-term, goal-directed behavior (Lewis & Todd, 2007).
