Emotion Flashcards
What happens if we encounter a stressful situation?
1.Stress is triggered, a fixed pattern of physiological and neurohormonal changes.
2.This disrupts homeostasis leading to an activation of the sympathetic nervous system fight or flight response.
3. The HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-ADRENAL axis is also activated which released horomones such as cortisol.
What does cortisol do?
it increases blood glucose levels and decreases inflammatory responses, which are adaptive for an acute situation. These changes can lead to a state that can last for many minutes or even hours
What does the sustained release of cortisol result in?
Insulin resistance and weight gain.
Decreased immunity and high blood pressure.
Mood and anxiery disorders.
ANS
Autonomic Nervous System, composed of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system
SNS
Sympathetic nervous sytstem does your fight or flight.
Speeds up your heart rate, delivers more blood to areas that may need it
PNS
Parasympathetic Nervous system, rest and digest
Promotes relaxing, slowed heart rate, slower breathing, digestion.
What consists of the HPA axis
The Paraventricular Nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus
The anterior lobe of the pituitary gland
The cortex of the adrenal gland
James-Lange Theory of Emotion
Emotions result from bodily sensations
* The emotion disappears if the sensations are removed
* There is a system from which sensations emerge (ANS)
* There is a system that interprets the sensations (Brain)
Canon-Bard Theory
We simulateneouly experience physiological and emotional responses. The brain registers and the body reacts and autonomic specificity does not exist.
John Hughlings-Jackson Theory
First to recognise localisation
The higher systems (cortex, the summit of the NS) evolved as a need to control the lower systems (mid layer, the limic system)
Kids have less cortex so are more of an emotional wreck.
McClean Theory
Triune brain where there are three different brains representing evolutionary stages.
- Reptilian:
- Oldest
- Basic behaviors: nesting, foraging, greeting
- Paleomammalian:
- Limbic system: play, caregiving
- Social behavior in mammals
- Neocortex:
- Sophisticated
- Control
Location of amgydala
The amygdalae (singular amygdala) are small, almond-shaped structures in the medial temporal lobe adjacent to the anterior portion of the hippocampus
Function of amygdala
- Emotions
- Pavlovian learning (stimulus-outcome)
- Instrumental learning (stimulus-response)
- Attention
- Autonomic reactions
- Social cognition
How does anger link with the amygdala
Anger stems from the amygdala as an emotional response and is regulated by the prefrontal cortex. A lack of PFC control can lead to lashing out etc.
Urbach-Wiethe Disease
Autosomal recessive genetic disorder that leads to the degeneration of the amygdala. DONT FEEL FEAR!!
