Chapt. 11 from Carlson (2013) - Emotion

Question 1

Positive or negative reactions to particular situations.
Consist of patterns of physiological changes and accompanying behaviors (or urges) to perform these behaviors. It is the behavior, not the private experience, that has consequences for reproduction and survival.

Answer 1

Emotion

Question 2

3 components of emotion

Answer 2

1) Behavioural
2) Autonomic
3) Hormonal

Question 3

In the amygdala, olfactory afferents terminate in the

Answer 3

medial nucleus

Question 4

in the amygdala, afferents from sensory cortex, including secondary visual cortex, terminate in the

Answer 4

centromedial nucleus

Question 5

the _____ receives inputs from several nuclei of the amygdala, including the lateral nucleus, and projects to many other areas of the brain important for emotional response

Answer 5

Basal nucleus

Question 6

the ______ is the single most important part of the brain for expression of emotional responses provoked by aversive stimuli

Answer 6

Central Nucleus (CE)

Question 7

sympathetic activation

Answer 7

lateral hypothalamis

Question 8

behavioural arousal (DA)

Answer 8

VTA

Question 9

increased vigilance (NE)

Answer 9

locus cerelus (LC)

Question 10

freezing (immobility)

Answer 10

PAG

Question 11

(CRH) secretion

Answer 11

paraneventrical nucleus

Question 12

cortical activation (ACh)

Answer 12

dorsal lateral tegmental nucleus

Question 13

What did LeDoux et al. use as CS, UCS and what behavioral CR did they measure?

Answer 13

CS: tone
UCS: shock
UCR= startle response
CR: freezing

Question 14

LeDoux et al. also studied the neural basis for this conditioning and found that the synaptic changes that mediate the change in response to the CS take place in the amygdala. In which two nuclei did this synatpic potentiation occur?

Answer 14

• physical changes responsible for classical conditioning of a CR takes place in LA
  Neurons in LA communicate with regions in the hypothalamus, midbrain, pons and medulla, that are responsbile for behaviour, autonomic and hormonal components of conditioned emotional response.
• vmPFC plays a critcal role in extinction of CER

LA and vmPFC

Question 15

agresstive attack (defensive rage) could be elicited by electrical stimulation to the

Answer 15

Dorsal PAG “defensive” “dorsal” DD

Question 16

predation could be elicited by stimuation to the

Answer 16

ventral PAG

Question 17

importance of vmPFC for ____ responses

Answer 17

inhibiting

Question 18

describe the results that demonstate that vmPFC neurons are important for extinction of CER in animals (3)

Answer 18

• lesions impair extinction
• stimulation inhibits emotional responses
• extinction training activates neurons here

Question 19

Describe the experiment by Phelps et a. (2004) that found that the vmPFC is involved in extinction of a CER in people.

Answer 19

vmPFC plays a critical role in extinction of conditioned emotional response.
- Pair visual stimulus with electrical shock to wrist
- Extinguish the response by presenting picture with no shocks
- Fig 11.4: control of extinction
○ Shows increased activity of the medial prefrontal cortex correlated with extinction of the conditioned response.
○ Correlation between activation of the medial prefrontal cortex and establishment of extinction.

Question 20

Describe the study by Anderson et al. (2006) that concluded that vmPFC damage disrupts behavioral control and decision making in everyday life.

Answer 20

Obtained rating of emotional behaviours of patients with lesions of vmPFC such as frustration tolerance, emotional instability, axiety and irritability, from patients relatives
Obtained rating of patients real-world competencies, such as judgement, planning, social inappropriateness, and financial and occupational status, from both relatives and clinicians
Found significant correlation between emotional dysfunction and impairments in real-world competencies
There was no relationship between cognitive abilities and real-world competencies
Strongly suggests that emotional problems like at the base of real-world difficulties exhibited by people with vmPFC damage.

Question 21

the experiment of Nili et al. (2010) who found that the sgACC (region of the vmPFC) was especially active when people overcame their fear of snakes. This suggested that some of the neurons in this area are important for inhibiting fear responses.
How did Nili et al. demonstrate this? That is, what was their experimental setup?

Answer 21

fMRI study
scanned the brains of people who were afraid of snakes and people who were not afraid of snakes
While people were in the scanner, they could press a button that controlled the action of a conveyer belt to either bring a live snake closer to them or take it away from them.

Question 22

Experiment of Nili et al. (2010) who found that the ________ was especially active when people overcame their fear of snakes. This suggested that some of the neurons in this area are important for ________ fear responses.

Answer 22

sgACC (region of the vmPFC)

inhibiting

Question 23

Describe some of the changes in Mr. Gage that followed his injury that provide clues to the function of ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC).

Answer 23

Before injury: serious, industrious, and energetic
After injury: childish, irresponsible and thoughtless of others
Accident largely destroyed the vmPFC bilaterally

Question 24

Phineas Gage who suffered massive bilateral damage to his ventral prefrontal cortex (Harlow, 1868). Later analysis of the skull by Damasio et al. (1994) concluded that the damage included the orbital frontal and ventromedial prefrontal, while sparing the

Answer 24

dorsal lateral PFC

Question 25

Koenigs et al. (2007) compared the decisions of people with damage to vmPFC to those with damage to other brain regions and to normal controls.

Participants were asked to make 3 types of decisions: nonmoral, impersonal moral, and personal moral. Give an example of each type of decision.

How did the normal participants compare to those with vmPFC damage when making personal moral decisions?

Answer 25

Non-moral: decided to take the bus or train to work
Impersonal moral: switch the lever to save 5 people on runaway trolley but kill one worked on the track
Personal moral: push fat man on track to save 5 people, but killing one

Patients with vmPFC lesions make same decisions as normal patients and controls on non-moral and impersonal moral judgments
Emotional deficits on patients with PFC damaged did not have moral issues as the other two groups did

Question 26

What method did Greene et al. use and what did they find?

Answer 26

Greene et al. 2001
fMRI study
present people with moral dilemmas
thinking about these dilemmas activated several brain regions, including the vmPFC
making normal decisions (ex: taking bus vs. taking train) did not

Question 27

Moretto et al. (2009) used the SCR as a measure of autonomic arousal while normal participants and those with vmPFC damage made moral decisions.

How did the SCR of normal participants compare to those with vmPFC damage when making personal moral decisions?

How might this difference affect the decisions of those with vmPFC damage?

Answer 27

Found that people without brain damage showed physiological signs of unpleasant emotional reactions when they contemplated pushing the man off of the bridge and said they would not push him
People with vmPFC lesions did not show signs of this emotional reaction and said they would push him

PFC plays an important role in suppressing such behavior by making us see its negative consequences

Question 28

serotonin inhibits aggressive behavior. One of the experiments measured the serotonin metabolite, 5-HIAA, in CSF of young male rhesus monkeys living in a free-ranging colony. The investigators also measured the behavior of these monkeys and were able to make correlations between 5-HIAA levels and behavior.

What was the relation between 5-HIAA level and aggression?

What was the relation between 5-HIAA level and mortality?

Why did Carlson conclude that serotonin does not simply inhibit aggression?

Answer 28

• Young lame monkeys with lowest levels of 5-HIAA showed patterns of risk-taking behavior (high level of aggression towards older, stronger monkeys, making huge jumps)
  5-HT does not simply inhibit aggression – it exerts a controlling influence on risky behavior, including aggression.
• Depressed rates of 5-HT release (indicated by low levels of 5-HIAA in CSF) associated with aggression and other forms of anti-social behavior such as assault, arson, murder and child beating.

Carlson concluded that 5-HT does not simply inhibit aggression because not only did the monkey’s exhibit high levels of aggression, they part-took in other risk behaviour.

They picked fights they could not win
More likely to take dangerous leaps from trees
Exerts a controlling influence on risk behaviour, including aggression.

Question 29

Serotonin and aggression. What is Prozac and what is its effect on aggression in people? How was this measured?

Answer 29

Fluoxetine
5-HT agonist decreased irritability and aggressiveness
fMRI study (New et al. 2004) measured regional brain activity of people with histories of impulsive aggression before and after 12 weeks of treatment with fluoxetine
Drug increased activity of the PRF and reduced aggressiveness.

Question 30

(New et al. 2004) measured regional brain activity of people with histories of impulsive aggression before and after 12 weeks of treatment with fluoxetine
Drug ________ activity of the PRF and _______ aggressiveness.

Answer 30

increased

reduced

Question 31

The study by Frankle et al. (2005) found lower levels of SERT in prefrontal cortex of people with impulsive aggression. Explain how this result supports the conclusion that there is less innervation of prefrontal cortex in these people.

Answer 31

fMRI study found evidence for lower levels of 5-HT transporters in the medial PFC of people with impulsive aggression.
5-HT transporters found in the membrane of serotongergic terminals
This suggests that the medial PFC of these people contain decreased 5-HT input.

Question 32

The amygdala & patient S.M. Patient S.M. has extensive bilateral amygdala damage due to Urbach-Wiethe disease. In what ways is her emotional behavior different from that of people without such damage? In the real world? In the laboratory?

Answer 32

would not look at eyes when she examined photographs of peoples faces.
she spent time abnormally large amount of time looking at other people’s mouths
white eyes alone can convey the impression of a fearful expression
SM did not directly look at eyes suggests a cause for her failure to detect only this emotion
when instructed to look at the eyes of the face she was examining, she was able to recognize an expression of fear.
if she was not instructed to look at the eyes, she failed to recognize the expression of fear

Question 33

Carlson describes the results of Adolphs et al. (2000) who found that patients with damage to the somatosensory cortex were impaired in their ability identify facial expressions of emotion. What explanation was offered for this?

Answer 33

they computerized information about the locations of brain damage in 108 patients with localized brain lesions and correlated this information with the patients ability to recognize and identify facial expressions of emotions
found that the most serve damage to this ability was caused by damage to the somatosensory cortex of the right hemisphere
they suggest that when we see a facial expression of an emotion, we unconsciously imagine ourselves making that expression.
we imitate what we see
suggest that the somatosensory representation of what it feels like to make the perceived expression provides cues that we use to recognize the emotion being expressed in the face we are viewing.
report that the ability of patients with right hemisphere to recognize facial expression is correlated with their ability to perceive somatosensory stimuli
patients with somatosensory impairments caused by right hemisphere lesions also had impairments in recognition of emotions/

Question 34

People with damage to the_________ have difficult in identifying facial expressions of disgust

Answer 34

insular cortex

Question 35

What are mirror neurons, where are they found, and what is their significance for our ability to understand the emotions of others?

Answer 35

mirror neurons are activated when an animal performs a particular behavior or when it sees another animal performing that behaviour.
these neurons are involved in learning to imitate the actions of others
localized in the ventral premotor area of the frontal lobe
mirror neuron system is activated when we observe facial movements of other people, it provides feedback that helps us to understand how people feel
mirror neuron system may be involved in our ability to empathize with emotions of other people.

Question 36

It is suggested that the ______ is involved in making stimulus-reward associations and with the reinforcement of behavior,

Answer 36

medial OFC

Question 37

used to determine serotonin levels in the body.

Answer 37

5-HIAA

Question 38

Stimulation of the dorsal and lateral aspects of the ________ (in the rat) can provoke defensive responses characterised by freezing immobility, running, jumping, tachycardia, and increases in blood pressure and muscle tonus.

Answer 38

PAG

Question 39

Lesions of the ________can greatly reduce conditioned freezing, whereas lesions of the dorsal aspect can reduce innate defensive behavior, virtually “taming” the animal.

Answer 39

caudal ventrolateral PAG

Question 40

is an emotional response that results from classical conditioning, usually from the association of a relatively neutral stimulus with a painful or fear-inducing experience.

Answer 40

CER

Question 41

_______ was especially active when people overcame their fear of snakes. This suggested that some of the neurons in this area are important for inhibiting fear responses.

Answer 41

sgACC (region of the vmPFC)