final study guide

Question 1

what are the regions of the prefrontal cortex and what are their functions?

Answer 1

• dorsolateral
  understanding rationale behind others
• ventrolateral
  understanding one’s feelings and others (theory of mind)
• medial
  understanding oneself
• orbitofrontal
  memory, learning, rewards and habits, decision-making

Question 2

what is the limbic system? what parts make it up? what do they do?

Answer 2

limbic: emotion center

amygdala
fear, anger, anxiety

anterior cingulate cortex
attention

hypothalamus
reward center: dopamine, maintains homeostasis

hippocampus
memory/learning

Question 3

what is the insula?

Answer 3

insulates emotions in response to bodily reactions (for homeostasis)
- insulates pain

Question 4

what is the dorsal striatum?

Answer 4

long term habits & decision-making
- smoking (addicts) (doesn’t bring pleasure anymore)
- brushing teeth
- morning routines
- breathing

Question 5

what are nucleus accumbens?

Answer 5

rewards, pleasure, motivation, immediate gratification
- food
- sex
- completing hw

Question 6

what is the ventral tegmental area (VTA)?

Answer 6

located in midbrain

where dopamine is created

involved in reward, motivation, pleasure -> sends info to nucleus accumbens

Question 7

what is the temporo-parietal junction?

Answer 7

incorporating emotions (limbic system) and senses (external stimuli) to process environment

• theory of mind
• interpreting facial expressions

Question 8

what are 5 chemicals and their functions?

Answer 8

dopamine
reward, motivation,
pleasure

oxytocin: love hormone
trust, connectedness,
stress reliever

endorphins: runner’s high
pleasure, pain reliever

cortisol: stress
fight/flight response, regulating BP and glucose levels, fluctuates during the day

sex hormones: sex drive
testosterone: males
estrogen: females