Affective Neuroscience Flashcards

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1
Q

a coordinated set of responses that deal with complex stimuli important for survival and reproduction with a time course of minutes or hours.

A

emotion

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2
Q

a diffuse affective feeling state that is often of lower intensity than emotion, but longer in duration ie: hours or days

A

mood

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3
Q

the subjective representation of emotions

A

feelings

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4
Q

Name the 6 basic human emotions.

A

happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, disgust

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5
Q

What are the 3 general functions of emotions? Hint: the acronym IMC may help you remembe

A

Information
Provide information about our current situation

Motivation
Motivate adaptive responsiveness
Emotions move us to action

Communication
Communicate our feelings to others to facilitate social interactions

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6
Q

In 2-dimensional models of emotion, what are the two dimensions?

A

Basic emotion vs Psychological Construct

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7
Q

Valence may be represented in the brain by activity in two networks. Name these 2 networks, and name some of the major brain areas included in each.

A

Pain network
dACC, insula, somatosensory cortex, thalamus, PAG

Reward network
VTA, ventral striatum (NA), vmPFC, amygdala, dorsal striatum (caudate nucleus & putamen)

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8
Q

Reward network

A

VTA, ventral striatum (NA), vmPFC, amygdala, dorsal striatum (caudate nucleus & putamen)

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9
Q

Pain network

A

dACC, insula, somatosensory cortex, thalamus, PAG

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10
Q

What is the name of the noradrenergic nucleus important for arousal? Where is it located and where does it project?

A

The locus coeruleus is a noradrenergic nucleus cell group located in the dorsal metaceleophalon
LC neurons send their axons to many forebrain regions where their activity increases arousal, attention and vigilance.

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11
Q

emotions are constructed from components, e.g. arousal, feedback from autonomic responses, and memory, within working memory (conscious awareness)

  • claim that the affective feelings are essential attributes of emotional functions in the brain.
  • generalized processes such as learning and working memory are seen as the quinessential attributes of emotions
A

Generalized Emotional Theory (GET)

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12
Q

“sensory-motor command circuits”

  • believe that emotions are global brain states that ultimately emerge from intrinsic brain processes
  • taxonomizing is an essential aspect
A

Central Affective Programs (CAP)

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13
Q

emotions arise from an intergration of input from the brain and body an emotion is made out of component parts.
The brain contains circuits dedicated to producing emotions and feelings (like Panksepp’s CAPs)
A human feeling is a composite image of changes in body and brain.
- not fond of taxonomixzing emotions
- focus on empirical relationships between psychophysiological and brain measures
- many components from both brain and body that contribute to emotionality

A

Hybrid approaches (COP)

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14
Q

scientents who agree with GET

A

Michael Davis
Joseph LeDoux
Edmund Rolls
Lisa Barrett

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15
Q

scientists who agree with CAP

A

Paul MacLean

Jaak Panksepp

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16
Q

scientists who agree with COP

A

Damasio

Lang

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17
Q

What is the conceptual act model of emotion, and who proposed it?

A

Lisa Barrett - emotion categories are perceptions; not solely based on response patterns distinct for each emotion. “Emotions are contents, not systems, in the brain.”
The CAM proposes that emotions are complex perceptions, built from 4 basic systems
Core affect
Conceptualization
Executive control
Language

Different emotions are used by combining these systems in different ways
CAM was developed to solve the problem of the “emotion paradox”

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18
Q

What is the “emotion paradox”?

A

Studies that measure emotion by relying on reports of feeling produce consistent evidence for categories fear, disguist, happiness, etc.
But, instrument-based measures of the brain and body do not agree
Difficult to identify emotion specific regions of the brain from fMRI studies
Difficult to identify emotion specific physiological response patterns

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19
Q

Nummenmaa et al. (2013) have mapped sensations of the body associated with different human emotions.

Explain how they created these maps.

Do these maps prove the James-Lange theory is correct?

A

People colored where they felt sensations increase and decrease as they were presented with stimuli designed to evoke emotion
Distinct matters of sensation were reported for different emotions

Body maps are consistent with James-Lange theory
Sensation map is different for each emotion

Still don’t know exactly what causes these sensations
Contribution from peripheral responses is not known
Some part of the body map may be cause by central activity that’s independent of peripheral feedback

20
Q

How does Panksepp think the higher sentiments, e.g. humour, empathy, disgust, arose during evolution? What is the name for this evolutionary process?

A

Cortical expansion in the forebrain of primates
Allows primates to construct these from components of categories 1 & 2 via learning
Physical pain → social pain eg: shame
Oral disgust → moral disgust eg: contempt

21
Q

What is the James-Lange theory of emotion?

A

physiological arousal instigates the experience of a specific emotion.
The affective component of an emotion (feeling) doesn’t cause the emotional responses. It’s the opposite:
Feelings arise from the sensory consequences of emotional responses, e.g. feedback from behavioral, endocrine and autonomic responses.

22
Q

P’s idea of the neural basis of feelings differs from the J-L theory in 2 ways:

A

P doesn’t think the cortex is the substrate of feelings, instead it’s midbrain (e.g. PAG) and below.
The substrate is a spontaneously active neural network that represents body maps.
Feelings don’t depend entirely on sensory feedback from emotional responses (but are influenced by such feedback).

P: Feelings don’t depend on feedback from other emotional responses.
However, don’t get confused into thinking that P believes that feelings cause emotional responses.
P’s theory is not simply the opposite of the J-L theory.

23
Q

How does Panksepp think the higher sentiments, e.g. humour, empathy, disgust, arose during evolution? What is the name for this evolutionary process?

A

Cortical expansion in for forebrain of primates
Allows primates to construct these from components of categories 1 & 2 via learning
Physical pain → social pain eg: shame
Oral disgust → moral disgust eg: contempt

24
Q

What does Damasio think about the James-Lange theory of emotions?

A

Proposes similar concept: emotion stimuli comes first, feelings second
Feelings become part of our cognitive response to emotional stimuli, e.g.
they motivate decision-making, e.g. flight or fight, or approach.
“Joy and sorrow and other feelings are largely ideas of the body in the process of maneuvering itself into states of optimal survival.”

25
Q

In general, where does Damasio think human feelings arise in the brain? Is it a telencephalic or mesencephalic structure?

A

Human feelings occur within the cerebral cortex

Insula and PFC are where feelings arise

26
Q

Damasio proposes that 4 cortical areas are most important for generating human feelings. Two are somatosensory, and two are prefrontal. Name these 2 areas of somatosensory, and 2 areas of prefrontal cortex.

A

Four areas are particularly important.
Two SS and two limbic
SS: S2 & insula
limbic: ant. cingulate & ventral prefrontal
Of these, the insula is proposed to be critical.

27
Q

What is the function of insular cortex and where is it located?

A

part of the frontal lobe

visceral organs, i.e. “gut feelings”
flow: posterior -> anterior
Sends info. to other areas of cortex:
ventromedial prefrontal
ant. cingulate

Insular cortex, where neurons represent a map of the body & continuously monitor its changing condition.

28
Q

According to Damasio where does the information important for generating human feelings come from and where does it 1st arrive in the cortex?

A

Human feelings emerge within the cerebral cortex.
Insular cortex, where neurons represent a map of the body & continuously monitor its changing condition.
PFC, including anterior cingulate, a highly integrative area.
For example, anterior cingulate receives information:
about the body from insula
about the external environment and memory from other cortical areas and the amygdala.

29
Q

Describe the pathway taken by information coming from the visceral organs, e.g. heart rate, as it enters the brain and is carried to the prefrontal cortex.

A

2 Pathways carry sensory information from the body to brain.
Spinal. Information about gentle touch, pain & temperature is carried via small diameter A delta and C fibres from the skin.
These fibres also carry information about the internal milieu, e.g. the state of smooth muscle contraction of arteries, blood pH and O2 level.

Vagal. The vagus nerve carries information from the visceral organs, e.g. heart and gut

Information from the 2 pathways converges in the posterior insula.
Insula projects to prefrontal cortex, e.g. anterior cingulate.
Insula & PFC are where feelings arise.
Next, I want to draw your attention to the NTS.

30
Q

What does Damasio think feelings are for? That is, what purposes do they serve?

A

Feelings direct our behaviour toward achieving a state of well being, they serve a homeostatic function.
Feelings play a decisive role in social behavior.

A critical part of human consciousness
Information
Homeostasis
Continuously monitor the state of the body so provide information that guides homeostatic adjustments:
equilibrium = happiness
disequilibrium = sadness
Decisions are guided by feelings.
31
Q

Hypothesis: OT dampens emotional arousal & anxiety by regulating activity of NTS and its projections to:

A

NTS

Amygdala

LC & BF

32
Q

OT dampens activity in the ______ , part of neural substrate for anxiety.

A

mPFC

33
Q

An experiment by Seltzer et al. (2010) measured hormonal responses in girls following stress. The girls were divided into 3 groups which varied according to how much maternal contact they received following the stressor.

A. What was the stressor?

B. Which 2 hormones were measured?

C. Describe how maternal contact affected these hormones.

A

A. What was the stressor? Trier Social Stress Test
public speaking and math performance in front of an audience

B. Which 2 hormones were measured? OT & reduced stress hormone release

C. Describe how maternal contact affected these hormones.
Both direct & phone contact elevate urinary OT.
Stress alone does not elevate urinary OT (no contact group)

34
Q

What are the 2 general functions of OT when it is released as a neurotransmitter in the brain?

A

Facilitates social behavior, e.g. maternal behavior, pair-bonding.
Inhibits stress responses, emotional arousal & anxiety.

35
Q

Explain what Panksepp means when he claims that emotions are natural kinds in the brain.

A

basic emotions are natural kinds that have specifiable neural substrates within the mammalian brain
there is no single motivation brain circuit
there is no unitary emotional brain circuit

36
Q

According to Panksepp, what are the 7 basic emotional systems of the brain?
Name one key brain area, and one key chemical mediator in each of these systems.

A

seeking/expectancy: VTA -> NAcc -> VP DA
rage/anger: MeA -> BnST -> medial hypothalamus -> dorsal PAG substance P, ACh, GLUC
fear/anxiety: central/lateral hypothalamus -> medial hypothalamus -> PAG GLU, neuropeptides
lust/sexuality: MPOA -> lateral midbrain gonadal steroids
care/nurturance: BnST & MPOA -> VTA, PAG opiods (-), CFP (+)
play/joy -> parafascicular area of thalamus, ventral PAG opiods (+/-)

37
Q

What is the PAG and what does Panksepp say about its role in emotion?

A

The PAG is identified as a critical site of convergence in many emotions.
PAG is on the output side (downstream from the forebrain), important for organizing emotional responses.

38
Q

Describe Panksepp’s 3-part strategy for studying the neuroscience of affect.

A

Panksepp suggests a 3-part strategy on p. 150.
Use animal models to analyze emotional behaviors that suggest the presence of affect, e.g. conditioned place preferences & aversions.
Study the brain substrates of these emotions.
Use this information to form hypotheses that can be tested in humans by studying their subjective experiences of emotion.

39
Q

According to Panksepp, what are the 3 kinds of affective processes?

A

Category 1: Reflexes
acoustic startle, withdrawl from painful stimulus, swallowing sweet etc

Category 2: Basic Emotions
six basic emotions

Category 3: Higher sentiments
humour, empathy, shame, guilt, disgust, contempt
products of recent evolutionary expansion of the forebrain
Cortical expansion allows primates to “construct” these from components of categories 1 & 2 via learning.
physical pain social pain, e.g. shame
oral disgust moral disgust, e.g. contempt

40
Q

How does Panksepp propose to make connections b/t animal and human research on affect?

A

Panksepp: Connections b/t animal and human research on affect will come largely from pharmacological approaches, e.g. manipulating neuropeptides
e.g. oxytocin

41
Q

Seeking/expectancy

A

VTA NAcc VP

DA

42
Q

Rage/anger

A

MeA BNST Medial hypothalamus PAG

Substance P, ACh, GLUC

43
Q

Fear/anxiety

A

Central/lateral amygdala Medial amygdala PAG

GLUC, Neuropeptides

44
Q

Lust/sexuality

A

MPOA lateral midbrain

Gonadal hormones

45
Q

Care/nurturance

A

BNST & MPOA VTA, PAG

E2, OT, prolactin, DA

46
Q

Panic/sensation

A

Ant. Cing Dorsal PAG

opioids (-) CRF (+)

47
Q

Play/joy

A

Parafascicular Area of the thalamus, ventral PAG

Opiods (+/-)