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Neurobiology -BIOL4370 > Lecture 8-The Biology of Sociality > Flashcards

Lecture 8-The Biology of Sociality Flashcards

1
Q

How does grooming affect social bonding in non-human primates? (3)

A

Grooming promotes bonding, confers social status, and enhances safety by deterring predators.

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2
Q

What is the role of grooming in predicting social hierarchies?

A

Grooming evolved to predict social hierarchies, where males groom females more often.

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3
Q

What biological effect does grooming have in NHPs?

A

Grooming releases endorphins, which are natural opioids that promote well-being and social connection.

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4
Q

What is eusociality, and why is it significant?

A

Eusociality refers to co-habitation across
generations,that enables cooperation, division of labor, and altruism, which enhances survival and life quality.

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5
Q

What are examples of tasks in the physical domain that measure intelligence?

A

Locating a reward, discriminating quantity, and understanding causality (e.g., tool usage).

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6
Q

What makes humans unique in social intelligence compared to primates?

A

Humans excel in understanding intent, following eye gaze, and using communicative gestures, outperforming chimpanzees and orangutans even at a young age.

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7
Q

What does the puppet study reveal about social intelligence in children?

A

Children can understand social cues, such as disliking a puppet that reacts negatively to something they like, demonstrating early social intelligence.

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8
Q

What are examples of tasks in the social domain that measure intelligence?

A

Solving problems by observing solutions, understanding cues indicating object location, selecting communicative gestures, following eye gaze to a target, and understanding intent.

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9
Q

How do humans compare to chimpanzees and orangutans in the physical domain, according to Herrmann et al., 2007?

A

Humans, chimpanzees, and orangutans perform similarly in the physical domain tasks, as shown by similar proportions of correct responses.

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10
Q

What is the Theory of Mind?

A

It is the ability to understand that others have thoughts and knowledge independent of one’s own.

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11
Q

What does the puppet experiment suggest about human morality?

A

Babies inherently prefer “good” puppets, indicating morality may be hardwired.

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12
Q

What skills are required to manage complex social cognition?

A

Mentalizing, processing emotional expressions, and abstract reasoning to understand social cues and anticipate outcomes.

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13
Q

Why have social factors become more salient and valuable in human cognition, and what aspects of social cognition must humans assess? (2)

A
  1. Social interactions are vital for survival and reproduction, requiring navigation of status, relationships, and group dynamics.
  2. Key aspects of social cognition include assessing attractiveness, social status, and understanding social norms.
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14
Q

Why is a network required for social cognition, and what are its main functions?

A
  1. A network is required due to the sheer complexity of social processing.
  2. Key roles:
    - Monitor “self,” infer others’ mental states,
    - interpret emotional responses
    - make socially guided decisions
    - form value judgments, and monitor subjective feelings.
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15
Q

What is the function of the anterior cingulate cortex in social cognition?

A

It manages motivation, decision-making, cost-benefit analysis, and error monitoring.

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16
Q

What is the role of the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex (vmPFC) in social cognition?

A
  1. Self-Referential Processing: Handles personal reflections and monitors subjective feelings.
  2. Social Connection: Helps share experiences and is activated for self-perception and understanding similar individuals, like romantic partners.
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17
Q

How does the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) contribute to decision-making?

A

The PCC is involved in prediction and planning.

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18
Q

What does the medial parietal cortex process?

A

The medial parietal cortex is involved in socio-emotional processing and perception.

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19
Q

What happened to patient M.R. after damaging his orbital frontal cortex (OFC)?

A
  • OFC damage resulted in
    inappropriate social behaviors such as: hugs strangers, talks about deeply personal topics, rambles on about his hobbies despite performing well in memory, motor, and language tests
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20
Q

How do the DLPFC, VLPFC, and DMPFC contribute to regions of specialization involved in sociality? (3)

A
  1. DLPFC: Supports decision-making and planning in social contexts.
  2. VLPFC: Regulates emotions and attention for smoother interactions.
  3. DMPFC: Enables understanding others’ thoughts and feelings (empathy, social reasoning).
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21
Q

What are the effects of social isolation on brain circuits?

A

Social isolation can lead to changes in brain circuits that support social behavior, particularly impairing social development.

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22
Q

What are the effects of social isolation on the brain and behavior?

A

Social isolation leads to:
- Changes in prefrontal cortex function
- Impaired synaptic plasticity
- Decreased dopamine and increased serotonin signaling
- Increased aggression, fear, and anxiety

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23
Q

What effect does isolation have on mice’s brain function?

A

Isolation leads to upregulation of metabotropic glutamate receptors, impairing brain plasticity, decreasing cognitive function, and affecting decision-making and social interaction.

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24
Q

How does social isolation affect serotonin and aggression in mice?

A

Isolation leads to overexpression of the 5H2TC serotonergic receptor, which increases aggression in mice.

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25
Q

What are the risks associated with perceived isolation?

A

Perceived isolation is linked to depression, reduced IQ over time, and an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease and has damaging effects even when controlling for social group size, activity, and marital status.

.

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26
Q

How does loneliness affect hormone regulation?

A

Loneliness is associated with decreased glucocorticoid receptor sensitivity, which affects the body’s ability to regulate stress.

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27
Q

What is the Default Mode Network (DMN), and how does it relate to isolation?

A

Linked to increased activity in the Default Mode Network (includes the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and retrosplenial cortex) to compensates for a lack of social interaction

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28
Q

Why might overactivation of the Default Mode Network be dangerous?

A

Overactivation of the DMN may increase mental health risks by reinforcing negative thought patterns, and increase feelings of isolation

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29
Q

What is the self-reference effect?

A

The improved recall of information when processed in relation to the self.

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30
Q

What brain region is engaged during self-referential processing, and how is its activation related to memory recall?

A

The medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) is activated during self-referential processing, and greater activation of the MPFC correlates with better recall of self-related information.

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31
Q

Which brain region is linked to the sense of self, and what happens when it is stimulated?

A

The posterior parietal cortex (PPC) is linked to the sense of self. Stimulation of the PPC can make individuals feel as if they moved, even if they didn’t.

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32
Q

What brain activity is observed in the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) at rest?

A

The MPFC shows elevated activity when a person is at rest, such as during daydreaming or self-reflection.

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33
Q

What is the default mode network (DMN) and its role?

A

The default mode network (DMN) is a network of brain regions active during rest, self-reflection, future planning, and understanding others’ thoughts or emotions.

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34
Q

What brain regions are part of the DMN, and what do they do? (6)

A
  1. Ventral medial PFC (self-referential thinking).
  2. Dorsal medial PFC (social cognition).
  3. Posterior cingulate cortex (memory and self-reflection).
  4. Retrosplenial cortex (memory integration).
    5.Temporal parietal junction (perspective-taking).
  5. Inferior parietal lobule (sensory integration for self-awareness).
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35
Q

Which brain region is activated during positive self-appraisal?

A

The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is active during positive self-appraisal.

36
Q

How does the ventral anterior cingulate cortex (vACC) relate to positive self-perception?

A

The vACC is responsible for focusing attention on positive self-information, and it shows less deactivation when evaluating positive traits.

37
Q

How does damage to the orbital frontal cortex (OFC) affect self-perception? (2)

A

Damage to the OFC impairs the ability to accurately judge one’s positive self-perception and causes exaggerated positive self-characteristics.

38
Q

What is the role of the orbital frontal cortex (OFC) in self-perception?

A

The OFC is responsible for spontaneous and accurate self-perceptions and helps align behavior with social norms.

39
Q

What is the role of the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) in predicting mental states?

A

The vmPFC helps imagine mental states, predict others’ thoughts, and rehearse social scenarios.

40
Q

What happens when the vmPFC is damage?

A

It becomes harder to evaluate personal likes and dislikes.

41
Q

What activates the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC)?

A

The vmPFC is activated when weighing how much a person would enjoy something now versus in the future.

42
Q

How does vmPFC activity influence decision-making?

A

Higher vmPFC activity favors future payouts, while downregulation predicts short-sighted decisions.

43
Q

What does embodiment refer to?

A

Embodiment refers to the spatial unity between the self and the body.

44
Q

Which brain regions mediate the sense of unity in embodiment?

A

The temporal-parietal junction and angular gyrus mediate the sense of unity.

45
Q

What feeling does electrical stimulation of the angular gyrus cause?

A

It causes feelings of sinking into the bed, falling from a height, and an out-of-body experience.

46
Q

What is the role of the temporal-parietal junction (TPJ) in embodiment, and what tasks show increased TPJ activation?

A
  • The TPJ is involved in imagining another person’s perspective, empathy, and out-of-body experiences.
  • It shows increased activation during tasks that require imagining being in someone else’s perspective.
47
Q

What is autoscopic hallucination, and which brain region is involved?

A
  • When someone sees a double of themselves outside their body while still feeling present in their own body, involving the right temporo-occipital cortex.
48
Q

What causes autoscopic hallucinations?

A

They may occur due to a failure to synchronize proprioceptive and tactile information or conflicting vestibular and visual input.

49
Q

When do humans start imitative facial expressions, and what does this suggest about the behavior?

A

: Humans exhibit imitative facial expressions as early as 42 minutes post-birth, suggesting it is an innate and automatic behavior.

50
Q

What brain activities are observed at four months old in response to facial expressions and eye contact?

A

Increased activity in the occipital cortex (gamma range) and prefrontal cortex (in response to direct eye contact), aiding facial expression processing.

51
Q

What role does the noradrenergic system play in attachment learning?

A

The noradrenergic system drives rapid olfactory learning, helping young animals identify their mother’s scent during a sensitive period.

52
Q

How is the amygdala involved in early attachment, and why is its response dampened?

A

The amygdala’s responses are dampened to prevent young animals from associating their mother with pain or aversion, ensuring the formation of a secure attachment.

53
Q

Why is attachment learning critical at a young age?

A

Attachment learning is crucial for survival, allowing young animals to recognize their mother’s smell and form a bond regardless of the quality of care.

54
Q

When do different parts of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) become activated? (2)

A
  1. Ventral mPFC: Activated for self-perception and when perceiving similar individuals, such as a current romantic partner
  2. Dorsal mPFC: Activated when perceiving individuals who are dissimilar.
55
Q

Which brain regions are connected during empathy?

A

The insula connects mirror neuron networks (mPFC, ventrolateral PFC, anterior cingulate gyrus) with the amygdala to process empathetic responses.

56
Q

What happens in the brain during empathy?

A

The same affective state is activated in the observer, allowing them to partially experience and understand the emotion, triggering somatic and autonomic responses in an “embodied simulation.”

57
Q

How does the anterior insula relate to disgust in the context of empathy? What happens if this area is damaged?

A
  • The anterior insula activates with increasing degrees of disgust and is linked to recognizing disgust in others in others
  • Damage to this area reduces the ability to feel or detect disgust.
58
Q

What evidence shows the insula’s role in disgust-related responses?

A

Electrical stimulation of the insula can evoke nausea, and brain regions associated with it activate in response to disgusting smells or visuals, facilitating recognition of disgust in others via mirror neurons.

59
Q

What brain areas are activated during physical pain, observing others in pain, and when a romantic partner is in pain?

A

The insula is activated in all cases, and the anterior cingulate cortex is additionally activated when a romantic partner is in pain

60
Q

Which brain areas encode the unpleasantness of pain and are also activated when viewing unfairness?

A

The insula and anterior cingulate cortex

61
Q

How do rats demonstrate empathy in the study, and how long does it take to master this behavior?

A

Rats prioritize freeing a trapped cagemate before going for treats, becoming experts after 12 days of testing.

62
Q

Which brain region is involved in goal-directed activity, self-reflection, and action monitoring?

A

The dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) is involved in goal-directed activity, self-reflection, and action monitoring.

63
Q

What brain regions are activated when thinking about oneself vs. others?

A

The right medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is activated when reflecting on oneself, and the left medial prefrontal cortex is activated when thinking about others.

64
Q

Which brain region is activated during impression formation, and how is it related to behavior evaluation?

A

The dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC) becomes active when you form impressions of others. Its activity correlates how much you evaluate or judge the other person’s behavior during this process.

65
Q

How does male brain activity differ from females in response to seeing a cheater in pain, and what does ventral striatum activation indicate?

A

Males show reward-related activation in the ventral striatum, enjoying the cheater’s pain, while females are less empathethic, showing less response in the ACC and insula.

66
Q

What brain areas are involved in the emotional experiences of sports fandom?

A

Pain when a favorite team loses (ACC activation) and pleasure when a rival team loses (ventral striatum activity), reflecting schadenfreude (pleasure from another’s misfortune).

67
Q

What is the role of the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) in social decision-making, and what happens if it is damaged?

A

The vmPFC evaluates social options and rewards. Damage impairs decision-making, leading to difficulty evaluating options and inappropriate behaviors.

68
Q

What behaviors do patients with frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) exhibit?

A

Patients with FTLD often display socially inappropriate behaviors due to impaired vmPFC function.

69
Q

What is the function of the insula in moral decision-making?

A

The insula helps assess the emotional impact and aversiveness of moral violations, influencing moral decisions.

70
Q

How does the amygdala contribute to moral judgments?

A

The amygdala distinguishes between intentional and accidental harm within 200 milliseconds.

71
Q

What is the role of the temporoparietal junction (TPJ) in morality?

A

The TPJ helps judge intentions in morality and and suppresses the amygdala’s response to unintentional harm.

72
Q

How does the TPJ affect responses to moral situations when stimulated?

A

Stimulating the TPJ makes people focus on outcomes rather than intentions, leading them to judge situations less harshly if no harm occurs, even with bad intentions.

73
Q

How do different brain regions respond in the trolley dilemma?

A

The DLPFC is involved in rational decisions (flipping a switch), while the mPFC and TPJ engage during personal, emotional decisions (e.g., pushing someone).

74
Q

How does the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) respond to social support, and what areas does it inhibit?

A

The vmPFC increases activity with social support, inhibiting the amygdala, insula, and anterior cingulate cortex, which are associated with the “unpleasantness circuit.”

75
Q

What happens to hypothalamic activity when reminded of social support?

A

Reminders of social support decrease hypothalamic activity associated with threats.

76
Q

What are the benefits of providing social support for mental health? (5)

A

Providing social support reduces depression, lowers blood pressure and heart rate, activates reward regions in the brain, and releases stress-reducing opioids.

77
Q

How does providing social support impact the brain’s reward system?

A

Activates reward regions of the brain, including the septum and the ventral tegmental area (VTA).

78
Q

What is the role of opioids in social support and mental health? When are they released?

A
  • Released during supportive social interactions
  • Reduce pain and threat responses
  • Lower HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) and SNS (sympathetic nervous system) activity
  • May contribute to parental behavior by fostering nurturing and caregiving behaviors
  • Blocking opioid signaling:
    Enhances fear acquisition
    Prevents fear forgetting
79
Q

What are common symptoms of autism?

A

Impaired social interactions, communication issues, restricted interests, and comorbid conditions.

80
Q

How does the DMN function in individuals with ASD?

A

The DMN is consistently “off” in individuals with ASD and shows no change in activation from resting to engaged focus.

81
Q

What causes network imbalances in ASD according to spine development model?

A

Network imbalances could be caused by either overproduction of spines or a lack of pruning during development.

82
Q

What does the presence of immature spines in the hippocampus and cortex suggest in ASD?

A

It suggests developmental delay, as these spines are typically only seen early in brain development.

83
Q

Which brain regions are associated with social development affected in autism? (3)

A
  1. Orbital frontal cortex (OFC)
  2. Anterior cingulate cortex (involved in empathy)
  3. Posterior parietal cortex (involved in attention and self-referential processing)
84
Q

Which brain regions are associated with communication deficits in autism? (3)

A
  1. Broca’s area (inferior frontal gyrus; IFG)
  2. Supplementary motor area (SMA; movement regulation)
  3. Basal ganglia (voluntary movement)
85
Q

What brain regions are involved in repetitive behaviors in autism? (4)

A
  1. Orbital frontal cortex (decision-making)
  2. Anterior cingulate cortex (emotional regulation)
  3. Basal ganglia (habit learning)
  4. Thalamus (sensory weigh station)

Neurobiology -BIOL4370 (12 decks)

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