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Emotions: Scientific and Clinical Aspects > Chapter 7: Brain Mechanisms and Emotions > Flashcards

Chapter 7: Brain Mechanisms and Emotions Flashcards

Week 3: Cognitive and Biological Processes

1
Q

neurons

A
  • humans brain contains 86 billion neurons, each with up to 10,000 synases
  • neurons communicate through synapses, which are tiny gaps where chemical signals are exchanged
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2
Q

neurotransmitters

A

are released at the synapse to activate or inhibit other neurons

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3
Q

neuromodulators

A

are peptides that influence neurotransmitter activity, affecting brain regions more widely

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4
Q

neuroimaging techniques

A

noninvasive methods like PET and fMRI allow researcher to visualise brain activity in real time and identify regions involved in emotional states

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5
Q

electrophysiological methods

A

techniques such as EEG, MEG, and TMR measure electrical or magnetic signals from neurons to study brain functions

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6
Q

lesions and stimulation

A

accidental damage, experimental lesions, or stimulation of brain regions help identify the role of specific areas in emotions

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7
Q

hindbrain

A

includes regions like the medulla, pons and cerebellum

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8
Q

medulla

A

controls cardiovascular activity

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9
Q

the pons

A

sleep and breathing

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10
Q

cerbellum

A

motor coordination

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11
Q

forebrain

A

contains key structures:
- thalamus
- hippocampus
- hypothalamus
- amygdala
- cerebral cortex

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12
Q

thalamus

A

integrates sensory information and plays a role in decision-making and memory

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13
Q

hippocampus

A

central to memory processing

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14
Q

hypothalamus

A

regulates biological functions such as hunger, temperature, and aggression

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15
Q

amygdala

A

key for processing emotions, especially fear

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16
Q

cerebral cortex

A

involved in higher functions like decision-making, planning, and emotional regulation, particularly in the frontal lobes

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17
Q

MacLean’s triune brain theory

A

MacLean proposed that the human forebrain evolved into 3 systems, each linked to emotional and behavioral functions developed at different stages of vertebrate evolution

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18
Q

the striatal region

A

the earliest part of the forebrain, involved in basic behaviors like territory defense, foreaging, and social bonding, evolved in reptiles

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19
Q

damage to striatum

A

disrupts goal-directed behaviors, though individuals may still engage in planned activities

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20
Q

the limbic system

A

in mammals, the limbic system (thalamus, hippocampus, and amygdala) evolved to support emotions related to caregiving, social bonding, and communication. plays a role in regulating the ANS and costisol response, helping mammals navigate complex social environments

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21
Q

Kluver and Bucy

A

removing parts of the limbic system in monkey led to doctilicy and loss of fear

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22
Q

Olds and Milner

A

stimulation of the limbic system in rats caused intense self-rewarding behaviors

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23
Q

epilepsy studies

A

temporal lobe epilepsy, involving the limbic system, triggered powerful emotional experiences

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24
Q

consistent brain activation

A

emotional experiences activate certain brain regions, both subcortical and cortical areas, such as visual cortex, regions for understanding others, and the frontal cortex

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25
Q

apprasial

A

assessing whether an event is novel, relevant, rewaring or harmful

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26
Q

bodily feelings

A

tracking emotional responses in the body

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27
Q

facial expressions

A

brain regions involved in expressing emotions

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28
Q

conceptualization and regulation

A

regions that help regulate and understand emotions, as well as empathize with others

29
Q

affective neuroscience

A

mapping out how specific brain regions and their networks are involved in various emotion-related processes, offering insights into how the brain processes, regulates, and responds to emotions

30
Q

LeDoux’s theory of the amygdala

A

he proposed that the amygdala, rather than the entire limbic system, is the key brain structure responsible for processing emotions

31
Q

classical conditioning and the amygdala

A

LeDoux’s research showed that the amygdala is central to classical conditioning, where emotional significance is learned

32
Q

the amygdala and fear

A

although often linked to fear, the amygdala is not exclusively activated by fear. it responds to a range of emotions and stimuli based on their relevance to current goals

33
Q

dopamine

A

central to wanting rewards and drives approach-oriented behaviors, such as exploring or seeking affection

34
Q

opioids

A

involved in liking rewards and contribute to the pleasure and satisfaction we get from rewards, like enjoying food or affection

35
Q

nucleus accumbens

A

involved in the brain’s reward system and rich in dopamine and opioids

36
Q

periaqueductal gray (PAG)

A

a subcoritcal brain region involved in emotions, particularly in pain, threat, and caregiving. it plays 3 key roles:
- pain modulation
- threat detection
- caregiving

37
Q

pain modulation and PAG

A

the PAG helps manage pain by releasing opioids that inhibit pain signals before they reach the cortex, allowing individuals to focus on escaping threats rather than immediate pain

38
Q

threat detection and PAG

A

it is activated by images or stimuli that evoke negative emotions, such as threats or distress, indicating its role in processing danger and negative affect

39
Q

caregiving and PAG

A

the PAG is part of a caregiving system in mammals, activated by distressing sounds, such as an infant’s cry, and by images of distress. it supports behaviors like nurturing and compassion

40
Q

anterior insular cortex

A

a key brain region involved in the awareness of bodily sensations and the experience of emotion. involved in transforming bodily sensations into emotional experiences

41
Q

key functions of anterior insular cortex

A
  • bodily sensations
  • self-awareness (e.g. looking at our own face)
  • context and decision-making
  • broad emotional involvement
42
Q

Edmund Rolls

A

studied individuals with damaged orbifrontal cortex, which is responsible for tracking rewards and associating them with specific contexts. damage to this area results in difficulty understanding which actions lead ot rewards, often causing inappropriate emotions, disinhibited behaviors, or lack of emotional response

43
Q

what parts of the prefrontal cortex are activated when labeling emotions?

A
  • the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex for attending to emotions
  • the venrtromedial prefrontal cortex for categorizing emotions
44
Q

mindfulness meditation

A

invovled directing attention and categorizing transient emotional states or the challenges of social living in a physically calm state. increased activation of prefrontal cortex regions and reduced activity in amygdala, helping with emotional regulation

45
Q

damage to prefrontal cortex

A

patients with damage to this area often display inappropriate emotional responses in social contexts, such as excessive pride in awkward situations or overly intimate behavior with strangers

46
Q

neuroimaging studies

A

brain scans show that when people regulate emotions, the prefrontal cortex is activated

47
Q

taking a third-person perspective

A

looking at emotions from a detached viewpoint activates the medial preforontal cortex, helping with self-reflection and emotional regulation

48
Q

prefrontal cortex

A

is crucial for modifying emotional responses (emotion regulation) based on context, such as adjusting behavior in social setting

49
Q

reappraisal process

A
  • involves left lateral prefrontal cortex
  • reduces amygdala and insular cortex activity
50
Q

brain areas activated when empathizing

A
  • medial prefrontal cortex
  • anterior insular cortex
  • anterior cingulate cortex
51
Q

cognitive empathy

A

understanding others mental states activates different regions, including the precuneus and temporal parietal junction

52
Q

frontal temporal lobar dementia

A

impairs empathy, making it difficult to read emotions or engage in social behaviors

53
Q

dorsal anterior cingulate cortex

A

sevres as the mind’s alarm system attenuated to social pain and separation. this region is active during conflicts between stimuli or individual goals, and it is also involved in physical pain, tracking the unpleasantness of each sensation. also initiates body’s inflammation response

54
Q

Lisa Barett

A

proposed that emotions are constructed in the brain through broad networks that first assess the valence (good or bad) and arousal of events

55
Q

Philip Kragel, Kevin LaBar and Lauri Numenmaa

A

identified distinct patterns of brain activation for specific emotions

56
Q

guilt

A

activates the ventral anterior cingulate cortex

57
Q

shame

A

linked to increased activtiy in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and posterior cingulate cortex

58
Q

embarressment

A

associated with the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and amygdala

59
Q

pride

A

activates the posterior medial cortex, involved in self-referential processing

60
Q

sexual desire

A

involves the hypothalamus

61
Q

gratitude

A

activates the anterior cingulate cortex and medial prefrontal cortex

62
Q

romantic jealousy

A

linked to the basal ganglia

63
Q

envy

A

shows activation in the inferior/middle frontal gyrus and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex

64
Q

Roland Griffiths and Robin Carhart-Harris

A

explored the brain activation during key mystical experiences, such as those induced by meditation or psilocybin

65
Q

default mode network (DMN)

A

this network, which is active during self-referential thinking and spontaneous thought, is deactivated during mystical experiences

66
Q

emotions linked to deactivation of DMN

A

self-transcendent emotions like awe, joy, and ecstacy

67
Q

psilocybin and meditation

A

these experiences lead to long-lasting effects on emotions like awe and ecstasy, often linked with a loss of self

68
Q

core mentalizing network

A

helps us understand stories and other people’s emotions
- medial prefrontal cortex is a central part
- this network supports emotions related to relationships, emphasizing the social nature of human emotions

Emotions: Scientific and Clinical Aspects (18 decks)

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