Chapter 17 - Anxiety

Question 1

Basic facts about anxiety

Answer 1

very prevalent, responses include increased muscle tension, restlessness, impaired concentration, sleep disturbances, and irritability

Question 2

Why does short term anxiety have benefits?

Answer 2

warns of danger and activates fight-or-flight response
Activation of the sympathetic ANS produces increased heart rate, sweating, and other signs of “fight-or-flight”
response
Intensity can vary from feelings of vague discomfort to intense sensations of terror

Question 3

What is the role of the BNST in anxiety like feelings?

Answer 3

Responses in anxiety may be initiated by the BNST – it projects to the same regions as the central nucleus
Central nucleus mediates rapid response; BNST produces a state of sustained preparedness for an unclear danger

Question 4

What is the role of the amygdala in anxiety like feelings?

Answer 4

important to emotion-processing circuits, negative emotional stimuli activate the amygdala in humans; significantly more in people with anxiety disorders

Question 5

Which part of the brain usually controls these feelings?

Answer 5

The amygdala

Question 6

What does Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) do?

Answer 6

CRF causes increased anxiety; stressful stimuli cause release of CRF in amygdala

Question 7

Role of hypothalamus/pituitary/CRF in anxiety

Answer 7

hypothalamus releases CRF, acts on the pituitary to
control release of glucocorticoids from the adrenal
cortex (HPA axis) in response to stress

Question 8

Administering what right before or right after a traumatic memory seems to diminish the emotional aspects?

Answer 8

β-adrenergic receptors due to NE and epinephrine being important in formation of emotional memories - propranolol

Question 9

What is the role of GABA in anxiety?

Answer 9

Inhibitory GABA has a major role in modulating anxiety: glutamatergic neurons from the PFC stimulate GABA neurons in the amygdala – topdown control of amygdaloid activity

Question 10

What do anxiolytic drugs do?

Answer 10

relieve anxiety; many are sedative-hypnotic drugs (CNS depressants)
An anxiolytic should relieve tension, worry, and stress with minimal side effects such as sedation
Primary mechanism of action: enhancing GABA transmission