5 Stress 2 Flashcards
Q: What is the role of adrenaline in the brain?
A: Adrenaline, also known as epinephrine, prepares the brain and body for action. It is released from the locus coeruleus and plays a key role in the stress response, with the highest release occurring during stress and lowest during sleep.
Q: What are some early events in stress reactivity during prenatal development?
A: Prenatal stress, such as exposure to famine during pregnancy (e.g., Dutch Hunger Winter), can have lasting effects on offspring’s health, increasing the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Studies also suggest that prenatal stress can lead to permanent metabolic shifts in the fetus.
Q: What did Kajantie et al.’s study on men reveal about prenatal stress and cortisol levels?
A: Kajantie et al. found that men with lower birthweights, particularly those born prematurely, had higher cortisol levels as adults, indicating a link between prenatal stress and altered stress reactivity later in life.
Q: How does postnatal stress, such as maternal separation, affect stress reactivity in animals?
A: Postnatal stress, such as maternal separation in rats, can lead to increased glucocorticoid response to stress in adulthood, making individuals more fearful. Stress in infancy can also reduce growth hormone levels.
Q: What did Gunnar et al.’s study on children in Romanian orphanages reveal about stress reactivity?
A: Gunnar et al. compared daytime cortisol levels in children from Romanian orphanages who experienced varying durations of institutional care. They found that children who spent more than 8 months in the orphanages had the highest cortisol levels, indicating dysregulated stress reactivity due to early stress experiences.
Q: How did Nili et al. study the effects of stress in adults?
A: Nili et al. studied people with snake phobias using MRI scanners while they interacted with snakes and toy bears. They found that when fearful individuals chose to bring the snake closer, amygdala activity reduced, suggesting a decrease in fear response.
Q: What did Patrick Vuilleumier’s study reveal about stress effects on brain activity?
A: Patrick Vuilleumier’s fMRI study showed that when participants viewed fearful faces, the amygdala was more active, indicating increased awareness to potential threats. Additionally, the fusiform gyrus responded to faces, while the parahippocampal gyrus responded to houses.
Q: How do Etkin and Wager’s findings relate to regulating perceived threats?
A: Etkin and Wager conducted a meta-analysis of fMRI studies and found increased activation in the amygdala (associated with phobia and anxiety) and decreased activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (associated with PTSD). This suggests that bottom-up signaling from the amygdala signals threats in the environment, while top-down regulation from the medial prefrontal cortex prevents constant stress responses.
Q: How does stress affect memory encoding and retrieval?
A: Stress generally enhances memory encoding during stressful events, particularly if the information is relevant to the stressor. However, stress during memory retrieval can impair memory performance.
Q: What did Henckens et al.’s study reveal about stress and memory for pictures?
A: Henckens et al. found that exposure to stressful films led to better memory for pictures. Cortisol levels increased during violent films, suggesting a link between stress and memory enhancement.
Q: How does stress affect memory consolidation and retrieval according to Cahill et al.’s study?
A: Cahill et al. showed that stress enhances the consolidation of emotional memories but not neutral memories. Additionally, stress during memory retrieval, as seen in the Trier Test, can impair memory performance.
Q: What is the role of cortisol receptors in the hippocampus in stress and memory?
A: The hippocampus, which has a high density of glucocorticoid receptors, is sensitive to stress hormones. This sensitivity may explain the effects of stress on memory, with stress generally having adaptive effects on memory.
Q: How do individuals cope with stress according to Lazarus and Lewin?
A: Coping with stress depends on cognitive appraisal of the situation, as proposed by Lazarus. Lewin identified different kinds of conflict, including approach-approach, avoidance-avoidance, and approach-avoidance conflicts, which can influence stress levels.
Q: What did Tice and Baumeister’s study reveal about procrastination and stress?
A: Tice and Baumeister found that procrastinators initially had lower stress levels and marks early in the year, but this changed over time. Procrastination can have complex effects on stress and academic performance.
Q: What did Whiteman’s longitudinal study suggest about submissiveness and stress?
A: Whiteman’s study found that high submissiveness was associated with lower heart disease risk, suggesting that submissiveness may be protective against stressors over time.
