Brain and Behaviour Flashcards
What is the limbic system?
- The primitive part of the brain
- has a huge influence on behaviour
What are the parts of the limbic system and what behaviours are associated with each part?
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
How does the limbic system affect behaviour?
- Creates motivational (emotional) drive which leads to the goal directed behaviour
- Helps with memory formaiton and spatial mapping
How can emotion be defined?
- 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
What are the three functions of the limbic system?
- Emotional state can effect behaviour through:
1. Inhibition
2. Approach or avoidance
3. Fight/flight/freeze response
What are behavioural changes determined by?
- The behaviour change will be determined by either positive or negative reinforcement, memory and genetics
What are three things behaviour can be influenced by?
- Genetics
- domestication
- development
What is the definition of stress?
- A state of real or perceived threat to homeostasis.
What is a stressor?
- A stimulus or collection of stimuli that cause the real or perceived threat to homeostasis
What is involved in the stress response?
- The bodies response to temporarily deal with stress.
- A complex range of responses involving behavioural, endocrine, nervous and immune systems.
What is involved in the stress response
What does stress lead to, and does this have a negative impact on the animal?
- Distress – when the stress response truly threatens an animal’s wellbeing
Draw out a flow diagram on the stress response (include behavioural and physiological responses).
How does the sympathetic nervous system respond to stress?
- Release of adrenaline and noradrenaline - stimulated by the hypothalamus and released from the adrenal medulla
What are some behavioural and physiological examples of responses to restraint?
Behavioural: struggle and vocalise
Physiological: increased heart and respiratory rate
What are some behavioural and physiological examples of responses to the cold?
- Behavioural: Huddle and shiver
- Physiological: Shiver, Change in metabolic rate and blood flow
What is the HPA axis?
- ## Hypothalamo-pituitary adrenal axis
What is allostatis?
- Allostasis is the process of achieving homeostasis/stability through physiological or behavioural change
What is the allstatic load?
the “wear and tear on the body” which grows over time when the individual is exposed to repeated or chronic stress
How does stress effect the immune system?
- 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.
How does stress effect repro?
Glucocorticoids directly suppresss gonadal steroids, LH and GnRh
How can we prevent the cost of stress from rising beyond a subclinical level?
- 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
