Brain and Behaviour

Question 1

What is the limbic system?

Answer 1

• The primitive part of the brain
• has a huge influence on behaviour

Question 2

What are the parts of the limbic system and what behaviours are associated with each part?

Answer 2

o Amygdala – fear aggression, anger, social behaviour
o Septum – relief of fear, pleasurable emotions
o Hypothalamus – gives force to emotions
o Thalamus – links limbic system to cortex
o Rhinencephalon – influences other limbic structures
o Hippocampus – spatial awareness, mapping, long term memory

Question 3

How does the limbic system affect behaviour?

Answer 3

• Creates motivational (emotional) drive which leads to the goal directed behaviour
• Helps with memory formaiton and spatial mapping

Question 4

How can emotion be defined?

Answer 4

• A strong feeling, aroused mental state, or intense state of drive or unrest directed toward a definite object and evidenced in both behaviour and in psychological changes, with accompanying autonomic nervous system manifestations

Question 5

What are the three functions of the limbic system?

Answer 5

• Emotional state can effect behaviour through:
  1. Inhibition
  2. Approach or avoidance
  3. Fight/flight/freeze response

Question 6

What are behavioural changes determined by?

Answer 6

• The behaviour change will be determined by either positive or negative reinforcement, memory and genetics

Question 7

What are three things behaviour can be influenced by?

Answer 7

• Genetics
• domestication
• development

Question 8

What is the definition of stress?

Answer 8

• A state of real or perceived threat to homeostasis.

Question 9

What is a stressor?

Answer 9

• A stimulus or collection of stimuli that cause the real or perceived threat to homeostasis

Question 10

What is involved in the stress response?

Answer 10

• The bodies response to temporarily deal with stress.
• A complex range of responses involving behavioural, endocrine, nervous and immune systems.

Question 10

What is involved in the stress response

Question 11

What does stress lead to, and does this have a negative impact on the animal?

Answer 11

• Distress – when the stress response truly threatens an animal’s wellbeing

Question 12

Draw out a flow diagram on the stress response (include behavioural and physiological responses).

Answer 12

Question 13

How does the sympathetic nervous system respond to stress?

Answer 13

• Release of adrenaline and noradrenaline - stimulated by the hypothalamus and released from the adrenal medulla

Question 14

What are some behavioural and physiological examples of responses to restraint?

Answer 14

Behavioural: struggle and vocalise
Physiological: increased heart and respiratory rate

Question 15

What are some behavioural and physiological examples of responses to the cold?

Answer 15

• Behavioural: Huddle and shiver
• Physiological: Shiver, Change in metabolic rate and blood flow

Question 16

What is the HPA axis?

Answer 16

• ## Hypothalamo-pituitary adrenal axis

Question 17

What is allostatis?

Answer 17

• Allostasis is the process of achieving homeostasis/stability through physiological or behavioural change

Question 18

What is the allstatic load?

Answer 18

the “wear and tear on the body” which grows over time when the individual is exposed to repeated or chronic stress

Question 19

How does stress effect the immune system?

Answer 19

• Glucocorticoids direcly impact the immune system, decreasing pro-inflammatory cytokines therefore decreasing cellular immunity and inflammation.
• Think of the effect that prolonged use of glucocorticosteroids (GCS) suppresses the immune system.

Question 20

How does stress effect repro?

Answer 20

Glucocorticoids directly suppresss gonadal steroids, LH and GnRh

Question 21

How can we prevent the cost of stress from rising beyond a subclinical level?

Answer 21

• Behaviour - Convince the animal that there is no stressor eg providing chains for pigs to chew and pull on to relieve stress associated with intermittent feeding
• Genetics - Breed ‘better coping’ animals eg breeding chickens better adapted to confinement
• Early experience - Expose animals to perceived threats early in life and repeat eg expose calves to handling facilities and techniques