Chapter 7: The Autonomic Nervous System and Hormones Flashcards
Autonomic Nervous System
parasympathetic and sympathetic
responsible for flight or fight
prepares for vigorous activity
prepares for rest and digest
Sympathetic
increase in bp and hr
increase in skin conductance
inhibits digestion
inhibits sexual arousal
increase breathing rate
Parasympathetic
body needs to rest+ grow/digest
energy for procreation
blood to the periphery
insulin!!
salivation
slow breathing
simultaneous responses
retching (contracting the intestines + retching)
Interbeat Interval
the mean ms between the R peaks of an EKG signal
systolic bp
contraction of ventricles
Diastolic BP
relaxation of ventricles
Electrodermal activity
increased speed of electrical conductivity by the skin from increased sweating
very quick!
Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia
heart rate comparison between inhaling and exhaling
used to assess the PSN influence on the heart
PSN and the heart
slows the heart rate to maintain homeostasis
William James
different emotional feelings may be associated with different profiles of activity in the body
Autonomic Specificity Hypothesis
each emotion has a distinct ANS response
ASH test
participants posed facial expressions and heart rate, skin conductance, finger temp, etc
conclusions: not really conclusive, arousal and valence differences may be more representative of the data’s slight differences
Epinephrine + Cortisol
key for stress
Hans Seyle
among diseases, almost all have fever, low energy, fatigue, low sex drive + appetite
injected rats to see what was up but he was kind of bad at it lmao
General Adaptation Syndrome
alarm, resistance, and exhaustion
Seyle’s definition of Stress
the nonspecific response that your body makes to any demands on it
Seyle’s definition of Alarm
first stage, with brief high arousal and epinephrine + cortisol is secreted
Seyle’s definition of Resistance
prolonged, moderate arousal where the body secretes cortisol in case there is danger
Seyle’s definition of Exhaustion
weakness, fatigue, loss of appetite, lack of motivation, immune system is less active
Social Readjustment Rating Scale
bending metal metaphor, though it has its issues
McEwen’s definition of Stress
an event(s) that are interpreted as threatening to an individual and which elicit physiological/behavioural responses
What’s involved in Stress
the heightened activity of the HPA axis
hypothalamus sends signals to the pituitary gland, which stimulates the secretion cortisol after travelling through the bloodstream
Leukocytes
white blood cells
prolonged stress associated w/ decreased production
Cytokines
stimulate the brain to initiate adaptive responses (immune) like fever, sleepiness, decreased appetite, etc
Hippocampus
is at risk with prolonged stress because the body is more likely to take in toxins
