Lecture 7: Mood Disorders Part 1

Question 1

What is the most basic form of behavior for all locomotor animals?

Answer 1

Approach vs avoidance = move towards resources/away from danger

Question 2

What is the reward system and what does it mediate?

Answer 2

A neural circuit that mediates
1) Pleasure: positive sensory experience
2) Positive emotion eg. Joy, pride
3) Conditioning - operant/respondent
4) Approach behavior

Question 3

Where is the reward system largely localized? (Which brain regions)

Answer 3

1. The mesolimbic dopamine pathway
2. The prefrontal cortex

Question 4

The mesolimbic dopamine pathway what does it connect?

Answer 4

The ventral tegmental area (VTA) to the nucleus accumbens

Question 5

Where is the VTA located?

Answer 5

In the midbrain at the top of the brainstem

Question 6

Where is the nucleus accumbens located?

Answer 6

In the forebrain

Question 7

The VTA is one of two primary regions of the cell bodies of ________ neurons

Answer 7

Dopaminergic neurons (dopamine producing)

Question 8

What projections does the VTA have?

Answer 8

1. Mesolimbic pathway connects VTA to nucleus accumbens
2. Mesocortical pathways connect VTA to cortex

Question 9

What do the mesolimbic dopamine pathways mediate? (4)

Answer 9

1. Pleasure
2. Positive emotion
3. Reinforcement learning (especially determining how pleasant/unpleasant of a stimulus)
4. Approach behavior

Question 10

People with depression often have ______ activation of the mesolimbic dopamine pathway which leads to less _____________________

Answer 10

UNDERACTIVATION of the MDP leading to
LESS APPROACH BEHAVIOR

Question 11

People with mania often have ____-activation of the mesolimbic dopamine pathway which leads to _________________

Answer 11

OVER-activation of the MDP leading to
MORE APPROACH BEHAVIOR

Question 12

Approach behavior

Answer 12

Behavior that is exploratory/goal directed

Question 13

The nucleus accumbens of people with depression is often ____ than people without depression

Answer 13

SMALLER

Question 14

The connectivity between the VTA and the prefrontal cortex are _____ robust in people with depression

Answer 14

LESS

Question 15

The connectivity between the nucleus accumbens and the prefrontal cortex is _____ in people with bipolar disorder which possibly contributes to ______

Answer 15

GREATER in people with bipolar disorder which possibly—> contributes to MORE APPROACH BEHAVIOR

Question 16

People with depression often have what kind of prefrontal cortex

Answer 16

1. Underactive prefrontal cortex
2. Volume reduction in prefrontal cortex

Question 17

People with depression and bipolar disorder often have structural and functional changes to the prefrontal cortex for example?

Answer 17

1. Decreased dendrites aborization —> leads to impacted executive functioning

Question 18

What are the common mood descriptors in clinical settings: (4)

Answer 18

1) Euphoric
2) Euthymic
3) Dysthymic
4) Dysphoric

Question 19

Euphoric

Answer 19

Extremely high elevated moods

Question 20

Euthymic

Answer 20

Mildly

Question 21

Dysthymic

Answer 21

Slightly lowered mood

Question 22

Dysphoric

Answer 22

Extremely low mood

Question 23

Mood disorders are extremes of a one-dimensional continuum from _____ to _____

Answer 23

Elevated to depressed

Question 24

What are the multidimensional conceptualizations of mood disorders (5)

Answer 24

1) Cognitive outlook
2) Emotional Tone
3) Motivational Drive
4) Behavioral initiation
5) Physiological regulation

Question 25

For cognitive outlook what’s the unidimensional continuum. It ranges from ____ to ____?

Answer 25

Optimistic to pessimistic

Question 26

For emotional tone what is the unidimensional continuum? It ranges from ___ to ____?

Answer 26

Euphoric to Dysphoric

Question 27

For Motivational Drive what is the unidimensional continuum? It ranges from ___ to ____?

Answer 27

Expansive to depleted

Question 28

For Behavioral initiation what is the unidimensional continuum? It ranges from ___ to ____?

Answer 28

Disinhibited to Inhibited

Question 29

For Physiological regulation what is the unidimensional continuum? It ranges from ___ to ____?

Answer 29

Up-regulated to down-regulated

Question 30

Physiological regulation refers to:

Answer 30

1) Energy 2) Wakefulness 3) Movement 4) Appetite 5) Sexual interest

Question 31

If your mood state is elevated what are the symptoms? (5)

Answer 31

1. Optimistic 2. Euphoric 3. Expansive 4. Disinhibited 5. Up-regulated

Question 32

If your mood state is depressed what are the symptoms? (5)

Answer 32

1. Pessimistic 2. Dysphoric 3. Depleted 4. Inhibited 5. Down-regulated

Question 33

If your mood state is mixed what are the symptoms?

Answer 33

Any combo of the symptoms in the multidimensional model

Question 34

Many people with depression experience ______ mood alongside low mood

Answer 34

Irritable

Question 35

Many people with depression also have ______ anxiety

Answer 35

COMORBID ANXIETY

Question 36

Comorbid anxeity: typically experiences (3)

Answer 36

1) under active reward system = decreased approach behavior 2) overactive threat system = increased avoidance behavior 3) underactive prefrontal cortex = impaired executive functioning

Question 37

What is a beneficial/adaptive effect of elevated mood and when would it be beneficial? (2)

Answer 37

1) INCREASES goal directed behavior when circumstances are FAVORABLE! 2) REDIRECTS goal directed behavior to exploit UNEXPECTED opportunities that arise eg. New job offering!

Question 38

How and when is low mood adaptive/beneficial? (2)

Answer 38

1) DECREASES goal-directed behavior when circumstances are UNFAVORABLE 2) REDIRECTS goal directed behavior to discover new opportunities

Question 39

When are mood states adaptive?

Answer 39

When they fulfill their adaptive function

Question 40

In what ways can mood states fail to be adaptive? (3)

Answer 40

When they fail to fulfill their adaptive function: 1) Circumstances/mood mismatch 2) Mood/behavior mismatch 3) When the mood states become very severe

Question 41

Example when circumstances and mood mismatch

Answer 41

A person has elevated mood under unfavorable circumstances eg. Feeling good when life circumstances are bad

Question 42

Example when mood and behavior mismatch

Answer 42

A person with elevated mood fails to increase/redirect goal-directed behavior eg. “Self-sabotage” or “self-defeating behavior

Question 43

When moods are maladaptive it becomes severe what can it result in?

Answer 43

1) intolerable distress 2) major impairment of functioning eg. Psychotic features

Question 44

Are are two specific pathways to depression suggested by evolutionary psychopathology?

Answer 44

1. Failure to achieve adaptive goals 2. Defeat in conflicts that determine social rank

Question 45

Optimal foraging theory provides evidence that

Answer 45

Animal fitness is strongly influenced by foraging strategies

Question 46

What are some key metrics of foraging? (2)

Answer 46

1. Productivity 2. Expenditure

Question 47

What contributes to higher fitness (in terms of foraging)

Answer 47

Maximizing the ratio of productivity to expenditure (lots of productivity and minimizing expenditure)

Question 48

Foraging success produces what kinds of emotions and moods?

Answer 48

Positive emotions and moods!

Question 49

Foraging failure produces what kinds of emotions and moods?

Answer 49

Negative emotions and moods

Question 50

Emotions and moods can help guide a persons foraging behavior and ______ ______ ________

Answer 50

Reassure allocation decisions!

Question 51

If you have positive emotions and moods what do you do with your foraging strategy?

Answer 51

Maintain it!

Question 52

If you have negative emotions and negative moods what do you do with your foraging strategy?

Answer 52

Change it!!

Question 53

Emotions and mood guide not only foraging behavior but:

Answer 53

ANY BEHAVIOR where there is a relationship between EXPENDITURE AND PRODUCtIVITY

Question 54

Emotions and moods are signals that:

Answer 54

Direct you to increase/decrease or change your goal directed behavior

Question 55

How can symptoms of depression be adaptive? Eg. Failure to achieve goals

Answer 55

Signals you to decrease/change goal-directed behavior

Question 56

When failure to achieve adaptive goals is pervasive/existing in every part of your life, people tend to experience

Answer 56

HELPLESSNESS

Question 57

Learned helplessness experimental paradigm

Answer 57

Dogs were exposed to inescapable shocks later fail to attempt to escape from escapable shocks + had depressive symptoms

Question 58

What is helplessness

Answer 58

Pervasive failure to achieve adaptive goals

Question 59

Obligate social animals

Answer 59

Animals that cannot survive outside a group

Question 60

Status hierarchies

Answer 60

Patterns of social rank within the group

Question 61

Social rank

Answer 61

Relative dominance of subordination of animals within the same social group

Question 62

Social status

Answer 62

The perception of social rank by other members of an animals group

Question 63

Higher social status can provide many benefits like: (6)

Answer 63

1) better resources access 2) better mate access 3) less stress 4) longer lifespan 5) more offspring 6) more offspring who reproduce

Question 64

In humans/some other primates, social status is mediated by (2)

Answer 64

1) competitive dominance 2) competitive competence

Question 65

Competitive dominance

Answer 65

Two or more animals competing through agonic behaviors

Question 66

Agonic behaviors

Answer 66

Behaviors that produce physical threats towards members of the same group/species eg. Intimidation, threat display, aggression

Question 67

Competitive competence

Answer 67

Two or more animals competing through hedonic behaviors

Question 68

Hedonic behaviors

Answer 68

Behaviors that produce social rewards for members of the same group eg. Helping others, sharing resources, tending to another’s offspring

Question 69

Dominance dispute

Answer 69

An event in which 2 or more humans/animals compete for dominance Eg. Within-group fights (ancestral), contact sports (modern example)

Question 70

Competence dispute

Answer 70

An event in which two or more humans/animals compete for competence Eg. Hunting (ancestral), academic arguments (modern)

Question 71

Social animals who lose a dominance/competence dispute often exhibit behaviors known as?

Answer 71

Involuntary Defeat Strategy (IDS)

Question 72

Involuntary defeat strategy (IDS) (6) symptoms

Answer 72

When you lose a dominance/competence dispute symptoms like: _____ appear 1) submissive behaviors 2) reduced motivation 3) behavioral inhibition 4) dysphoria 5) lack of energy 6) diminished self-esteem

Question 73

IDS has a ______ function during a dominance dispute

Answer 73

Protective function

Question 74

What does a protective function in IDS do?

Answer 74

Protects the defeated animal from severe injury/death if they persist with a dispute they can’t win

Question 75

IDS is an evolved system for adjusting to the ____ __ _____ ____ whilst still remaining a member of the group since humans are social animals

Answer 75

Loss of social rank

Question 76

Some social groups have a _____ social hierarchy

Answer 76

Steep

Question 77

Steep social hierarchy

Answer 77

Subordinates have a low probability of winning a status dispute

Question 78

Shallow status hierarchy

Answer 78

Subordinates have a moderate to high probability of winning a status dispute

Question 79

Steep social hierarchies can contribute to _____ and _____ ________ for those near the bottom of the hierarchy

Answer 79

Helplessness and chronic depression