4. Stress, anxiety and aggression

Question 1

Stress is:
1. A p____ reaction caused by p____ of a____ or t____ situations
2. Change that causes p____, e____ or p____ s____
3. P____ responses help prepare for ‘f____ or f____’ situations
4. E____ or c____
5. A____ but also h____

Answer 1

1. physiological, perception, aversive, threatening
2. physical, emotional, psychological strain
3. Physiological, fight or flight
4. Episodic, continuous
5. Adaptive, harmful

Question 2

Physiology of the stress response - SAM system:
1. Threats require e____ a____ –> need to m____ e____ r____
2. S____-A____-M____ (SAM) system
3. H____ and s____ nervous system stimulate a____ m____ (kidneys) to release the c____ t____ e____ (increases bloody glucose) and n____ (increases blood pressure)
4. N____ also secreted in b____ during stress

Answer 2

1. enhanced activity, mobilise energy resources (Glucocorticoids mobilize energy stores by inducing the degradation of proteins to free amino acids in muscle,lipolysisinadipose tissue, andgluconeogenesisin the liver.)
2. sympathetic-adrenal-medullary
3. hypothalamus, sympathetic, adrenal medulla, catecholamine transmitters epinephrine, norepinephrine
4. Norepinephrine, brain

Question 3

Physiology of the stress response - HPA axis:
1. H____-P____-A____ (HPA) axis
2. P____ n____ of the h____ (PVN) releases the peptide c____-r____ h____ (CRH)
3. CRH stimulates a____ p____ to release a____ h____ (ACTH)
4. ACTH enters general c____ and stimulates a____ c____ to secrete g____ –> increases g____, decreases p____ s____
5. CRH also secreted in b____ during stress in l____ system

Answer 3

1. hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis
2. Paraventricular nucleus, hypothalamus, corticotropin-releasing hormone
3. anterior pituitary, adrenocorticotropic hormone
4. circulation, adrenal cortex, glucocorticoids, glucose, pain sensitivity
5. brain, limbic

Question 4

Stress can be n____. C____ exposure to g____ destroys h____ neurons via excessive g____ in s____ –> excessive __ influx and toxicity

Answer 4

neurotoxic, chronic, glucocorticoids, hippocampal, glutamate, synapse, Ca2+
(Hippocampus=involved in learning and memory)

Question 5

Evidence for stress-induced neurotoxicity:
1. Rat exposed to c____ s____ and p____ for 75 mins
2. B____ g____ increased
3. Evidence for n____
4. Impaired p____-b____ potential in h____
5. Impaired in s____ task that requires h____

Answer 5

1. cat smell and presence
2. Blood glucocorticoids
3. neurotoxicity
4. primed-burst, hippocampus (PBP; similar to LTP, synaptic strengthening)
5. spatial, hippocampus

Question 6

PTSD involves long-lasting p____ symptoms after t____ event is o____. PTSD likelihood is increased if the traumatic event involves d____ or v____ from o____ p____. Symptoms include f____, h____ and i____. Often triggered by c____ related to traumatic event. L____, c____ response.

Answer 6

psychological, traumatic, over
danger, violence, other people
flashbacks, hypervigilence, irritability
cues
learned, conditioned

Question 7

Pavlovian associate learning:
1. N____ stimulus is repeatedly associated with an important s____ event called u____ stimulus
2. N____ stimulus comes a c____ stimulus or c____ which signals u____ stimulus

Answer 7

1. neutral, salient, unconditioned
2. neutral, conditioned, cue, unconditioned

Question 8

Learned P____ associations play a role in PTSD. N____ stimulus paired with a s____ stimulus. After P____ learning n____ stimulus becomes a c____ stimulus, often called a c____. C____ induces a c____ fear response.

Answer 8

Pavlovian, neutral, salient
Pavlovian, neutral, conditioned, cue
Cue, conditioned

Question 9

PTSD and brain changes:
1. Reduced size of h____ in combat veterans and police officers with PTSD
2. Possible risk factor for PTSD… m____ twin study from Vietnam war - smaller h____ in those with PTSD
3. Possible reason for h____ and PTSD –> h____ plays a role in d____ c____. Inability in PTSD from detecting t____ vs s____ contexts - t____ g____

Answer 9

1. hippocampus
2. monozygotic, hippocampus
3. hippocampus, hippocampus, distinguishing contexts, threatening, safe, threat generalisation

Question 10

Altered activity of the amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex in PTSD:
1. P____ c____ involved in i____ c____ and thought to normally i____ a____, involved in e____ e____
2. PTSD associated with greater a____ and reduced PFC activation than controls to f____ f____
3. PTSD-related changes may indicate e____ e____ r____ and r____ i____ c____

Answer 10

1. Prefrontal cortex (PFC), impulse control, inhibit amygdala, emotional expression
2. amygdala, fearful face (opposite for happy face)
3. excessive emotional response, reduced inhibitory control

Question 11

PTSD treatments:
1. P____ –> associated with decreased a____ activity and increased p____, h____ activity
2. A____ –> increased h____ v____

Answer 11

1. Psychotherapy, amygdala, PFC, hippocampus
2. Antidepressants (SSRIs), hippocampal volume

Question 12

C____ e____ therapy is highly effective for PTSD. Borrows principles from e____ learning. Repeated c____ p____ over weeks in safe therapy context reduces response to c____

Answer 12

Cue exposure, extinction, cue presentation, cue

Question 13

Anxiety is a____ u____ or n____ over an i____ or a____ ill

Answer 13

apprehensive uneasiness, nervousness, impending, anticipated

Question 14

Anxiety disorder is a more i____ fear/anxiety i____ for the circumstance

Answer 14

intense, inappropriate

Question 15

Panic disorder is e____ a____ of a____ anxiety or terror. Symptoms include h____, i____ heart-rate, d____ and fear of l____ c____ and d____. C____ factors play a role as A____, A____ and L____ A____ countries have lower rates than e.g. U____

Answer 15

episodic attacks, acute
hyperventilation, irregular, dizziness, losing control and dying
Cultural, Asian, African, Latin American, USA

Question 16

Brain changes linked to anxiety disorders:
1. Functional imaging using PET and fMRI show changes in the p____ c____, a____ c____ c____, and a____.
2. Increased a____ activity during panic attack (Pfleiderer et al., 2007) and in response to presentations of faces with a____, d____, and f____ in social anxiety disorder (Phan et al., 2005)
–> Activation correlates with symptoms
3. Adolescents with GAD exhibit increased a____ and decreased p____ c____ activation (Monk et al., 2008)
4. Lack of s____ of a____ activation via p____ c____ (PFC)
–> PFC plays a role in i____ of fear

Answer 16

1. prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala
2. amygdala, anger, disgust, fear
3. amygdala, prefrontal cortex
4. suppression, amygdala, prefrontal cortex, inhibition

Question 17

Treatments for anxiety disorders: GABAergic drugs:
1. B____ reduces anxiety and anxiety-like behaviours in a____
2. Binds to i____ G____ receptor as a____
–> increased __ influx
–> H____

Answer 17

1. Benzodiazepines (BDZ), animals
2. inhibitory, GABAA, agonist
   –> Cl-
   –> hyperpolarisation

Question 18

Treatment for anxiety disorders:
1. BDZ administration reduces a____ activity when looking at e____ f____ (Paulus et al., 2005)
2. Flumazenil (antagonist) d____ action at G____ receptor and produces p____ in panic disorder patients.
–> Treats BDZ overdose, acute alcohol intoxication
3. A____ potential, w____, s____.
4. Better c____ are needed with fewer s____ e____.

Answer 18

1. amygdala, emotional faces
2. disinhibits, GABAA, panic
3. Abuse, withdrawal, sedation
4. compounds, side effects

Question 19

Treating anxiety by increasing neurosteroid synthesis:
1. N____ s____ ‘neurosteroids’ (e.g. allpregnaolone) synthesized in p____ and C____
2. increase activity of G____ receptor.
3. During anxiety attacks, neurosteroid synthesis is s____, resulting in s____ of GABAA receptor function.
4. XBD173 enhances neurosteroid synthesis and r____ p____, in absence of s____ and w____ symptoms

Answer 19

1. Neuroactive steroids, periphery, CNS
2. GABAA
3. suppressed, suppression
4. reduces panic, sedation, withdrawal

Question 20

Treatment for anxiety: compounds that affect the serotonin and glutamate system:
1. The anti-depressant fluvoxamine, a SSRI, r____ p____ a____ (Asnis et al., 2001).
2. Similar findings for D-cycloserine (DCS) an i____ a____ of NMDA receptor (Ressler et al., 2004)
3. Presumed action by facilitating ability of b____ t____ to e____ f____ r____
4. DCS facilitates e____ of c____ f____ in animals (Walker et al. 2002)

Answer 20

1. reduces panic attacks
2. indirect agonist
3. behavioural therapy, extinguish fear responses
4. extinction, conditioned fear

Question 21

Aggression is c____ across m____ s____. Related to s____ s____, such as gaining access to m____ and protecting o____. May involve behaviours related to t____, d____, s____.

Answer 21

common, many species
species survival
mates, offspring
threat (warning), defensive (attack), submission (accept defeat)

Question 22

The brain circuits of aggression are programmed by the b____ s____. Electrical stimulation of p____ g____ (PAG) elicited aggressive attack and predation in c____.
M____ hypothalamus –> d____ PAG: d____ rage
L____ hypothalamus –> v____ PAG: p____ attack
A____ n____ control these pathways

Answer 22

brain stem
periaqueductal gray, cats
Medial, dorsal, defensive
Lateral, ventral, predatory
Amygdalar nuclei

Question 23

Aggression and serotonin: animal studies:
1. I____ serotonin t____ reduces aggression (Audero et al., 2013)
2. R____ serotonin transmission via d____ of s____ a____ (Vergnes et al., 1988) or reducing serotonin s____ increases aggression (Mosienko et al. 2012)
3. Low levels of serotonin m____ (5-HIAA) in c____ fluid in rhesus monkeys linked with high levels of aggression (Howell et al., 2007)
–> Picking fights with b____ monkeys
–> High r____ taking (dangerous leaps)
–> Suggests serotonin i____ aggression and c____ risky behaviours

Answer 23

1. Increasing, transmission
2. reducing, destruction, serotonergic axons, synthesis
3. metabolite, cerebrospinal, bigger, risk, inhibits, controls

Question 24

Aggression and serotonin: human studies:
1. Some evidence that s____ neurons play an i____ role in aggression
2. Low 5-HIAA in CSF linked with aggression and a____ behaviour
3. S____ has shown to reduce aggressive behaviour in some cases

Answer 24

1. serotonergic, inhibitory
2. antisocial
3. SSRI

Question 25

SSRIs work for P____, a____ d____ and a____

Answer 25

PTSD, anxiety disorders and aggression

Question 26

Reward is defined as o____, a____, e____ that attains a p____ m____ p____

Answer 26

objects, actions, experiences, positive motivational property

Question 27

Aggression as a reward: 1. Certain individuals exhibit ‘a____’ aggression, motivated by i____ reward (Elbert et al., 2010) 2. Thought to be an a____ to v____ e____ (Crombach et al., 2013) --> Remaining more f____ in violent settings (war afflicted communities, e.g. Ugandan Child soldiers) --> Elevated s____ s____ 3. Animal models allow us to study this behaviour (and brain mechanisms) under c____ c____ --> Conditioned p____ p____ (CPP) --> I____ conditioning

Answer 27

1. Appetitive, intrinsic 2. adaptation, violent environments, functional, social status 3. controlled conditions, place preference, instrumental

Question 28

Examining aggression reward in animals-1: Conditioned Place Preference (CPP) * Typically used with drug, food, social reward in mice/rats. Before conditioning * : all chambers are n____ stimuli. * Conditioning: One chamber is paired with r____ (drug) where as the other one is not. * After conditioning: After several r____-chamber pairings, r____-paired side acquires m____ s____ and acts as a c____ s____ * If a substance/experience is ‘r____’ then animals will spend m____ t____ in that chamber paired with that substance/experience, i.e. develop a preference.

Answer 28

neutral reward reward, reward, motivational significance, conditioned stimulus rewarding, more time

Question 29

CPP with aggression reward: R____ vs i____ males Male rodents are very t____ after sexual experience and will attack the unfamiliar intruder During conditioning: Resident attacks the intruder in the ‘P____’ side, no intruder on the ‘U____’ side After conditioning: Resident mouse that exhibited aggression spends more time on the P____ side in the a____ of the intruder mouse. →aggression is rewarding because the attacker p____ the side ‘p____’ with aggression

Answer 29

resident, intruder territorial paired, unpaired paired, absence prefers, paired

Question 30

Operant/instrumental task for aggression reward: Animals will learn to l____ p____ for 'i____' (aggression s___-a____). Trained animals p____ l____ even in a____ (aggression-s____)

Answer 30

lever press, intruder, self-administration press lever, absence, seeking

Question 31

Does aggression SA and seeking activate the reward system in the brain?: The n____ a____ (NAc) plays a key role in r____ (e.g. food) and m____ actions (e.g. eating) together with the v____ t____ a____ (VTA). * VTA sends d____ projections to NAc and part of ‘m____ pathway/system’ -e.g. Food and drug-seeking * Activated by r____ experiences, e.g. drugs of abuse, food, water, and sex. * Measured by the a____-s____ p____ ‘Fos’

Answer 31

nucleus accumbens, reward, motivated, ventral tegmental area dopamine, mesolimbic rewarding activity-sensitive protein

Question 32

Fos is a protein expressed in activated neurons: Strong stimulation of n____ triggers the expression of a protein called ‘Fos’ (or c-Fos) We can detect a____ neurons in the brain using a biochemical assay called ‘i____’ When animals are exposed to stimuli that are r____ (e.g. food, drugs) more neurons are activated in the n____ a____ than normal

Answer 32

neurons activated, imunohistochemistry rewarding, nucleus accumbens