Exam 2 Flashcards
Endocrine system
the body’s slow chemical communication system;
Glands that secrete hormones into the blood stream
Initial love
dopamine “erotic high”
PEA
honeymoon period
Dopamine
involved in addictive behavior and OCD;
natural endorphine that causes the body to relax and kills pain
PEA
high quantity when you first meet and gradually decreases;
body becomes tolerant after long exposure
Oxytocin
deep bond through touch
released during orgasm (greater for women)
“cuddle hormone”
Sertotonin
well-being, partnership, and trust
oxytocin and serotonin increase at 3-4 yr mark
Sex and basic needs similarities
sex is like hunger and thirst;
arousal and satiation, hormonal control, controlled by specific brain areas
Sex and basic needs differences
not a homeostatic tissue need (not required for survival)
reproduction is a species need
Sexual Response Cycle
Excitement phase- Plateau phase- Orgasm- Resolution phase- Refractory phase (males)
Testosterone
steroid hormone from androgen group;
secreted by the testicles and by the adrenal glands;
male sex hormone
Estrogen
produced by the ovaries and adrenal glands;
development of female body, increases uterine growth, lubes vagina, thickens vaginal wall
Progesterone
produced in ovaries during menstration;
also synthesized by the placenta, downregulates estrogen receptors, reduces anxiety, slows digestion, promotes appetite and fat storage, matures breast tissue
Estradiol
produced by ovaries, adrenal gland, and placenta
growth hormone for reproductive organs
required for reproductive and sexual function
BSTc or Central bed nucleus of the stria terminals
smaller in women and male-to-female transsexuals
SCN
larger in gay men than in heterosexual men and secretes more Vasopressin
Third interstitial nucleus of the anterior hypothalamus
half the size in gay men and heterosexual women;
M to F=# close to female
F to M=# close to male
Medial amygdala
BOTH SEXES
Sexual behavior, aggression, and emotions
Paraventricular nucleus
MALES
Erectile dysfunction, BP, heart rate, metabolic balance
Ventromedial hypothalamus
FEMALES
active during sex
MPOA
BOTH SEXES
Sexual motivation
Performance
SDN
MALES
5x larger in males
Dopamine and sexual behavior
drugs that increase dopamine increase sexual activity and orgasmic activity
Serotonin and sexual behavior
ejaculation is accompanied by increase in serotonin in lateral hypothalamus;
drugs that increase serotonin impair sexual ability and orgasm
Oxytocin and sexual behavior
(females)
facilitates bonding
increases during orgasm; breast feeding; birth
Vasopressin and sexual behavior
(males)
Bonding; mate protection
Sex
biological characteristics that divide male and female
Gender
behavioral characteristics associated with being male and female
Gender role
societal set of behaviors society appropriate for a particular sex
Gender identity
subjective feeling of being male or female
Organizing effects
Permanent
prenatally and shortly after birth
Ex- increase in stature
Activating effects
Reversible
at any point in life
Ex- breast developmenet
Role of amygdala
involved in sexual behavior, emotion, and aggression
Erection, ovulation, pleasure, orgasm
VTA
reward center
dopamine leads to reward/pleasure
Hypothalamus
regulation of sex hormones
Instinct
automatic and unlearned behavior
Drive theory
the body maintains homeostasis in its systems
Shortcomings of Drive theory
emphasis on drives as states of the brain rather than conditions of tissues
Incentive theory
motivated by external stimuli
People eat because it is pleasurable
Arousal theory
people behave to satisfy a certain level of sensation
Osmotic thirst
when fluid in cells drop, cells take water from bloodstream
Hypovolemic thirst
when blood volume drops
Sensory-specific satiety
food is less appealing the more you eat, encouraging variation in choices
NST of medulla
Learned taste aversion
avoiding foods associated with illness or poor nutrition
Learned taste preference
preference for the flavor of a food that contains a needed nutrient; often counteracted by tasty, high calorie foods
Effects of stress on digestion
Autonomic nervous system
can increase stomach acid causing indigestion
can cause nausea, diarrhea, constipation
Absorptive phase
insulin is secreted, which enables body cells to absorb glucose and store excess nutrients
Fasting phase
the pancreas secretes glucagon
Obesity and dopamine receptor
people who are obese have a less sensitive dopamine reward system
Reduced number of D2 receptors and prefrontal metabolism
Factors leading to obesity
Malnutrition
obese with autosomal recessive mutation improve with leptin (not diabetic)
Leptin
protein who’s absence is related to weight gain
Factors leading to anorexia
reduced serotonin activity, imbalanced ratio of serotonin receptors
low activity in dopamine reward systems
Top-down and Bottom-up in anorexic
want low calorie foods, but find increased reward activity to high-calorie food and pics of thin women
Agonist
mimics or enhances nerotransmitter
Antagonist
may reduce release of nerotransmitter
Addiction
preoccupation with obtaining a drug,
compulsive use of the drug in spite of adverse consequences;
a high tendency to relapse after quitting
Withdrawal
negative reaction that occurs when drug use is stopped
Tolerance
person becomes less responsive to the drug, requiring increasing amounts of drug to produce same results;
significant reason for overdose
Dependence
a state in which an organism functions normally only in the presence of a drug
How opiates work
binds to opioid receptor to indirectly increase dopamine
Effects from use of opiates
analgesic, hypnotic, euphoria
How depressants work
reduce nervous system activity
Effects from use of depressants
anxiolytic, sedation, hypnotic
How stimulants work
activate CNS to produce arousal, increase alertness, decrease appetite and up mood
Effects from use of stimulants
arousal, alertness, euphoria
How psychedelics work
compounds that cause perceptual distortions
-Activate DA pathways
Effects from use of psychedelics
distortions, hallucinations
How marijuana works
binds to endogenous cannabinoid receptors
Effects from use of marijuana
impaired prefrontal function, temporary memory, cognitive and IQ deficits
How barbiturates and benzos work
decrease activity in limbic system, hippocampus, brain stem, and cortex
Amphetamines
synthetic drugs that produce euphoria, increased concentration, and deficits in attention in impulse control
What happens to DA receptors after substance use over time?
DA receptors become less responsive after long-term use
Addictive potential of drugs
More likely to become addicted to fast-acting drugs
need more to obtain high
Mesolimbic dopamine pathway
begins in VTA and connects to nucleus accumbens
System 1
Hot
automatic, gut feeling, fast, stereotypic, instinct, more emotional
System 2
Cold
focused, analytical, effortful, calculating, conscious, slower, more rational
Brain area associated with loss
anterior insula
Brain area associated with gain
nucleus accumbens
Brain area associated with risk aversion
insula activation
Biases in decision making
- decisions should be rational and well calculated
- emotions can lead to errors
- emotional and rational behaviors seen as separate processes
- experts have better emotional control
Risk aversion
choose smaller payoff that is more certain than an uncertain payoff that is potentially larger
vmPFC
mental representation of emotions
Role of emotions in decision making
- amygdala triggers emotional states and responds to reward/punishment
- brain calls on vmPFC during decision making
- vmPFC re-enacts these emotional responses
- Insula provides gut feeling based on vmPFC
Steinberg 2010
Reward-seeking increases in middle adolescence and then declines.
Gains in impulse control occur throughout adolescence and well into young adulthood.
Socioemotional and cognitive control.
Reward seeking vs impulse control
Impulsivity decrease as age
Tower of London
adults and adolescents move balls on rods to form goal position in as few moves as possible
- self reported impulsivity=sig predictor
- self reported sensation seeking= not sig
Iowa Gambling Task
attempt to earn money by playing or passing cards. Advantageous deck and Disadvantageous deck.
- self reported impulsivity=not sig
- self reported sensation seeking= sig predictor
Hypothalamus
Limbic
VTA
Nucleus accumbens
Regulation of hormones
Amygdala- emotion, arousal, pleasure seeking
Makes DA
Receives DA
