Chap 20: Emotion

Question 1

Describe the nature of depression

Answer 1

Depression is a syndrome meaning there is no one singular area of the brain that is responsible for symptoms
- some areas are overactive and some under-active

Question 2

What are the 5 main brain areas necessary for understanding the brain and depression ? (Helen Mayberg)

Answer 2

1. area 25 of the subcallosal cingulate
2. the amygdala
3. The hypothalamus
4. The hippocampus
5. The prefrontal cortex

Question 3

Describe area 1 in the brain and depression

Answer 3

1. area 25 of the subcallosal cingulate
   - lights up when there is an intense negative experience
   (does it mediate negative mood ?)

Question 4

Describe area 2 in the brain and depression

Answer 4

2. the amygdala
   - associated with emotional responses, highly connected to area 25, but carries out both positive and negative emotional responses

Question 5

Describe area 3 in the brain and depression

Answer 5

3. The hypothalamus
   - regulates drive of sleep, appetite, libido

Question 6

Describe area 4 in the brain and depression

Answer 6

4. The hippocampus
   - responsible for memory, context and events in the environment which is immediately processed by area 25 and the amygdala

Question 7

Describe area 5 in the brain and depression

Answer 7

5. The prefrontal cortex
   - the final step, here information is synthesized and decide a plan of action

Question 8

What are the 4 components on emotions ?

Answer 8

1. psychophysiology
   - autonomic + central nervous system changes
2. motor behavior
   - facial expressions, tone of voice, posture etc
3. self-reported cognition
   - emotions are inferred
4. unconscious behavior
   - processes we are not aware of

Question 9

What are goal states ?

Answer 9

all behaviors are goal oriented
- moderated by homeostatic mechanisms

Question 10

Describe the role of the orbit frontal cortex

Answer 10

the OFC stores the context while the amygdala stores the fear
- responsible for that learned reward and its stimuli associations

Question 11

How do frontal-temporal lobe injuries affect facial expressions ?

Answer 11

there is a right-hemisphere dominance for facial expressions
- damage can cause deficit in facial expression recognition

Question 12

What is the general consensus of emotional processes ?

Answer 12

1. Emotions are elicited by internal or external events
2. Appraisals lead to different action tendencies, physiological responses and motor expressions
3. events are theorized to interact in the brain to induce nonverbal feelings

Question 13

What is the theory of constructed emotion ?

Answer 13

primary purpose of the brain is to integrate all of the bodys resources to meet the organisms basic needs in both the short and long-term