Anxiety Flashcards
psychological symptoms
of anxiety
-fearful anticipation
- Anxiety out of proportion to stimulus
- memory impairment
physical symptoms of anxiety
shaky, hot and sweaty
(autonomical systems)
problems with self treatement of aniety
Avoidance = greater fear
what do doctors prescribe
tranquillisers = traditional
then changing to current anxiolytics
then referral to psychologist
True or false
anxiety is co-morbid with other mental health issues
what is the name of the theory ‘the different pressues acting on the same process’
stress syndrome
what is eustress
Acute stress
what is the symptoms of eustress
tachycardia
hypertension
sweating
alert/ on-edge
GI activity = butterflies
anxiety
response to eustress is also called
fight or flight
what is Distress
chronic stress
what are the physical symptoms of Distress
tarchycardia, hypertension, shortness of breath and sweating
generalised muscle ache and tension headache
GI problems (ulcers)
psycholical symptoms of distress
memory imparment
insomina
irritabilty
depression
Worsened anxuety
how does Distress develope
pressure wether mental or physical (pain) is constant
when does anxiety disorder occur
when it interferes with normal life
what is the 5 type of anxiety disorder
- GAD- generalised anxiety disorder
- OCD - obsessive complusive disorders
- panic disorder (with or without agoraphobia)
- phobic disorders
- PTSD = reexperiences past trauma
which two anxiety disorders constrast each other
GAD and panic disorder
Gad is persistant and panic disorder is short intense periods
what are the core characteristics of any anxiety disorders
fear and avoidance behavours
why are some people more likely to develop anxiety disorders
-genetic predisposition
-behavioural inhibtion temperment (in childrens cauisng low threshold for amygdala arousal)
-early experience of lack of control of situation e.g neglect
-Active avoidance of anxiety-provoking situtations
whta is the three main parts of the biological basis of anxiety
CNS, autonomic NS and HPA axis
how is the CNS linked to anxiety
- The CNS has the amygdala
how does the amygdla repsond to stress/threat
sensory stimuli respond to thalamus which then activates the baso lateral amygdala nuerones
how do we know that teh amygdala is response for innate fear
lesion studies using mice
how is fear learnt ?
association of stimulus with an emotional reposne which is stored as a emotional memory in the prefrontal medial cortex
a linked is then created with the stimulus to the memory
when presented with the same stimulus the amygdala will co-ordiante a resposne
how does the amygdala co-ordinate a response to a fear stimulus
striatm - psychomotor activity
locus coreuleus - arousal/ agitation
hypothalamus
amygdala release CRF and activated the three areas above
what is CRF
corticotrophin releasing factor (hormone)
how is CRF linked to stress and fear response
CRF mRNA is greater expressed in animal which undergo psychological stress
what happens when CRF is injected in the cerebral aqueduct
increase in non-ambulatory activity such as rearing up ect compared to amulatory
increase locomotor activity slighly
higher CRF levels inhibits spontanous activity and locomotor activity - frezzing
what is the automonic resposne to fear
Locus coreleus released noradrenalin activing vagal response (parasympathetic)
-increase urination + GI
what does the hypothalmus cause
activates symoatic NS
fight/flight resposne is activatied by increase cardiac function in anticipations
tachycardia, hypertension, sweating
what is the endocrine response to fear/stress
hypothalums release CRF to pituitary whihc released Adrenocorticotrophin hormone activating the adrenals
releasing adrenalin - sympathic NS and Cortisol
What happens to the endocrine resposne in a Normal stress response
due to negative feedback, glucocorticoud/mineralcortiod receptors cause shut of CRF release
what occurs in people suffering from PTSD
lower threshold for amygdala activation
higher CRF levels
however a decrease in cortisol levels and others show no changes (may be due to age/sex?)
why is it suggested that PSTD patients have varying amounts of cortisol
more sensitive to glucocorticoid being released and therefore repsone is shut of quicker
what is the signal of endocrine dysfuction in panic disorder
- dont have increase CRH in CSF
- increase/no difference in cortisol levels (depending on study)
-some studys showing acth resposne has increase other didnt
no changes in dexamethasmone response
what is dysfuction of endocrine normally linked to
comorbiding
depression may be why there is varyong results
True/False is noradrenline in resting plasma levels increase in people with anxiety disorders
False
- only in response to stress (this could be argued in Panic disorders as some studied showed no increase what responding to stress
what is the evidence behind the increase in noradrenaline when people with anxiety disorder are responding to stress
evidence of A2 adreno disruption in people with anxiety disorders
when A2 adreno antagonist is adminstered to control an increase in noradrenaline levels
animals which were given corticosternone as well as antagonist didnt have raised levels
what is the resukt of rats which underwent cold stress
increase of noradrenline in reposve to stress
decrease of A2 adreno expession in brain
noraml decerase in NA release in respeince to A2 adreno agonist is blunted
what is seen in humans who suffer social anxiety disorder
normal increase in growth hormone levels in reponse to A2 adreno agonist is blunted
Which AD shows evidence that response to A2 adreno agonist is exaggerated
panic
Which AD shows evidence that response to A2 adreno antagonist is exaggerated
panic and PTSD
