2- Brain Areas involved in Emotional Processing and their Function

Question 1

4 key brain areas in emotion

Answer 1

1. Insula
2. Hypothalamus
3. Amygdala
4. Prefrontal cortex

Question 2

What did Papez propose in 1937?

Answer 2

The circuit connecting the hippocampus and thalamus was the neural basis for emotional experiences

Question 3

What did Papez say the role of the thalamus is?

Answer 3

Receiving sensory input to send it out to sensory cortices

Question 4

Why does the thalamus communicate with the hypothalamus in the Papez circuit?

Answer 4

The hypothalamus is the output brain which implements the body’s response

Question 5

How did MacLean modify the Papez circuit?

Answer 5

To include the amygdala

Question 6

How did MacLean’s modification of the Papez circuit change how we think about brain regions in emotion?

Answer 6

Some regions (eg. the hippocampus) are not primarily involved in emotion

Question 7

What do brain scanning studies show about the brain in emotions?

Answer 7

Show that many brain regions are implicated in emotions

Question 8

How is brain specialisation affected in emotional processing?

Answer 8

Most regions respond to a range of emotions, but no brain regions are specialised for a single emotion

Question 9

2 main areas included in the emotional network

Answer 9

Subcortical and cortical areas

Question 10

3 areas in the subcortical emotional network

Answer 10

Insula, amygdala, hypothalamus

Question 11

1 area in the cortical emotional network

Answer 11

Prefrontal cortex

Question 12

3 things the anterior insula is activated by

Answer 12

1. Viewing a disgusted facial expression
2. Smelling a disgusted odour
3. Other negative stimuli

Question 13

How does the insula seem to be unusually specialised?

Answer 13

For disgust

Question 14

What does insula damage cause?

Answer 14

Failure to experience/recognise disgust

Question 15

How is the communicative function of emotion underlined?

Answer 15

Similar brain systems are activated by both viewing and feeling an emotion

Question 16

What is insula activity linked to as well as disgust?

Answer 16

Sensing body sensations

Question 17

What is created by insula electrical stimulation?

Answer 17

Feelings of nausea

Question 18

What is experienced by people with higher awareness of body states?

Answer 18

More insula activity and higher emotional intensity

Question 19

What theory does the insula link to?

Answer 19

The James-Lange Peripheral Feedback Theory

Question 20

How does the insula seem to be activated?

Answer 20

By emotional stimuli in general

Question 21

What 3 things is the amygdala connected to?

Answer 21

Hypothalamus, insula and prefrontal cortex

Question 22

How is the amygdala activated?

Answer 22

By emotional stimuli

Question 23

What is amygdala activation strongest for?

Answer 23

Fear and anger

Question 24

Why may the amygdala be most activated for fear and anger?

Answer 24

May be because they are very arousing emotions and activate the fight-or-flight response

Question 25

What is the amygdala particularly involved in?

Answer 25

Negative emotions

Question 26

What did Sabatinelli et al find?

Answer 26

Greater amygdala activity when people with a snake phobia view pictures of snakes

Question 27

What 3 effects are associated with amygdala lesions?

Answer 27

1. Worse at recognising negative emotional facial expression
2. Show less intense negative emotions
3. Show less emotional arousal

Question 28

How does the amygdala trigger the ‘fight-or-flight’ response?

Answer 28

Sending signals to the hypothalamus

Question 29

Why is the hypothalamus important?

Answer 29

For autonomic nervous system activation

Question 30

How did Bard discover ‘sham rage’?

Answer 30

Removed the cortex in cats but not the hypothalamus

Question 31

What is ‘sham rage’?

Answer 31

Severe aggressive responses that is not directed at targets

Question 32

What happens when the hypothalamus is also removed?

Answer 32

The aggression response disappears- no sham rage

Question 33

What 2 things did sham rage conclude?

Answer 33

The hypothalamus is critical for aggressive expressions, and the cortex inhibits and directs aggression

Question 34

How is sham rage characterised?

Answer 34

By undirected emotional expression without the cerebral cortex

Question 35

When is sham rage abolished?

Answer 35

When the hypothalamus and the brainstem are disconnected

Question 36

How is the prefrontal cortex involved in emotional regulation?

Answer 36

Stops us from behaving inappropriately

Question 37

When is the lateral prefrontal cortex activated?

Answer 37

When reappraising

Question 38

What does reappraisal reduce?

Answer 38

Self-reported arousal ratings and amygdala activity

Question 39

Why does the prefrontal cortex inhibit the amygdala?

Answer 39

Dense interconnections between the prefrontal cortex and amygdala

Question 40

What is caused by damage to the prefrontal regions?

Answer 40

Emotional expression inhibited/inappropriate

Question 41

What can the PFC do to amygdala activity?

Answer 41

Dampen it

Question 42

Why is the PFC important?

Answer 42

For emotional regulation