Lecture 9: Trauma Part 1 Flashcards
Stress
Non-specific response of the body to any demand on allostasis
Stressor
Whatever is doing the demanding on allostasis eg. Work, school, interpersonal conflicts
Allostasis (3)
Biological mechanisms that regulate an organism’s internal milieu by:
- Anticipating needs
- Evaluating priorities
- Directing the organisms to satisfy them
Allostasis is _____ and ______ while homeostasis is ____ and ______
Allostasis is predictive and proactive while homeostasis is retrodictive and reactive
What does predictive and proactive mean in allostasis?
Cognition (predictive) and action (proactive) precedes need
What does retrodictive and reactive mean in homeostasis?
Need precedes cognition (retrodictive) and action (reactive)
Trauma
An experience that
1. Overwhelms a person’s ability to cope
2. Leaves a lasting impact on a person’s mental physical health
Many mental health problems are traumagenic meaning? (2)
Produced by trauma, which contributes to:
1. Problems with self
2. Problems with other
Common traumas include: (7)
- Physical abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Emotional abuse
- Witnessing domestic violence
- Severe neglect
- Medical traumas
- Psychotic episodes
Common problems with the self include (4)
- Low self-worth (value of yourself)
- Negative self-concept (primarily negative attributes representing you)
- Difficulty experiencing some or all emotions
- Personality disorders
Common problems with others include: (12)
- Too few relationships —> loneliness
- Low quality relationships —> loneliness
- High-conflict relationships
- Asymmetrical investment in a relationships
- Abusive relationships
- Neglectful relationships
- Relationships with too few boundaries
- Relationships with too many boundaries
- Personality mismatch
- Value mismatch
- Goal mismatch
- Personality disorders
Risk factors of developing PTSD include (13)
- Some genetic traits
- Some epigenetic traits
- Severity of traumatic event
- Traumatic events committed that are interpersonal
- Traumatic events committed that involve physical injury
- Traumatic events that in which a person is a victim rather than a witness
- Traumatic events in which a person dissociates
- Prior experiences of trauma
- Prior mental health problems
- Being female, younger, ethnic/racial minority
- Having lower SES, education, IQ
- Lack of social support
- Negative reactions from others regarding the traumatic event
Who is more likely to experience sexual trauma between men and women?
Women
Who is more likely to experience physical trauma between men and women
Men
People with PTSD has disregulation in 4 biological systems:
- The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis
- The sympathetic nervous system
- The threat system
- The reward system
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis) mediates the _____ response
Stress
The HPA contains: (3)
- The hypothalamus
- The pituitary glands
- The adrenals
Hypothalamus is a brain structure that links the _____ ____ and ____ ______. It also mediates physiological regulation of: (5)
Endocrine and nervous system
- Body temperature
- Blood pressure
- Hunger and thirst
- Sexual interest
- Sleep
What does the hypothalamus release to communicate with the nearby pituitary gland?
Corticotropin-releasing hormone
Pituitary gland is an endocrine gland in the brain that helps regulate (5)
- Stress response
- Blood pressure
- Blood glucose
- Metabolism
- Immune function
The pituitary releases what to communicate with the adrenal glands?
adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH)
Adrenals are endocrine glands located at the ___ of the _____ and produce several hormones including: (3)
Top of the kidneys
- Cortisol,
- Norepinephrine
- Epinephrine
Cortisol is an _____ hormone that helps regulate (3)
Adrenal
- Energy
- Blood pressure
- Sleep-wake cycle
Acute stress can lead to ______cortisolism
Hypercortisolism (Too much cortisol)
Hypercortisolism examples
High blood pressure or high blood sugar and other health problems
Chronic stress can lead to ____cortisolism due to the ____regulation of the HPA axis
Hypocortosolism (too little cortisol)
Downregulation
Examples of hypocortisolism
Low blood pressure and fatigue
People with PTSD can have both Hypercortisolism and hypocortisolism true or false?
TRUE
Cortisol down regulate the _____ ____ to prioritize what functions?
Immune system
Near-term functions that contribute to survival
Chronic stress contributes to ____ ____ ______ ______
Long-term immune dysfunction
Norepinephrine and Epinephrine are ______ hormones that mediate the physiological regulation of (7)
Adrenal
- Arousal/alertness
- Heart rate
- Blood pressure
- Glucose availability
- Blood flow to muscles
- Activity level
- Fight/flight response
What does norepinephrine and epinephrine do?
Prepare you for action!!
Epinephrine and norepinephrine neuron dysfunction is common in PSTD making people….. (3)
- Hypervigilant
- Overreactive to stressors
- sympathetically activated
Sympathetic nervous system also mediates the ____ response
Stress response
The central nervous system contains
The brain and spinal cord
The peripheral nervous system contains
Nerves and neuronal cell bodies outside the brain and spinal cord
Autonomic nervous system is part of the ______ nervous system that innervates ____, _____, and ____ ______
Peripheral
- Organs
- Glands
- Smooth musle
The autonomic nervous system mediates physiological regulation of (5)
- Heart rate
- Respiratory rate
- Pupillary response
- Digestion
- Sexual arousal
The autonomic nervous system is composed of two subsystems: (2)
- Sympathetic nervous system
- Parasympathetic nervous system
Sympathetic nervous system mediates?
Arousal (fight/flight)
Parasympathetic nervous system mediates?
Rest (“rest and digest”)
What does the SNS do to the
1. Heart
2. Blood vessels
3. Lungs
4. Eyes
5. Salivatory glands
6. Sweat glands
7. Liver
- Increases heart rate
- Increases blood pressure
- Dilates bronchioles
- Dilates pupils
- Decreases saliva production
- Increases perspiration of sweat
- Releases glucose to blood
What does the PNS do to the
1. Heart
2. Blood vessels
3. Lungs
4. Eyes
5. Salivatory glands
6. Sweat glands
7. Liver
- Decreases heart rate
- Decreases blood pressure
- Constricts bronchioles
- Constricts pupils
- Increases saliva production
- No effect
- No effect
Chronic stress and PTSD both result in _______ _______ of the sympathetic nervous system leading to ______ health problems and ______ health problems
Chronic activation
Physical and mental
Many mental disorders involve a _______ of the autonomic nervous systems eg. (4)
Dysregulation
- Mood disorders
- Anxiety disorders
- Psychotic disorder
- substance use disorders
An overactive threat system would mean there is an overactive (2) and an underactive (1)
Overactive: Amygdala, hippocampus = hyperactive threat detection
Underactive: prefrontal cortex = impaired executive functioning
Like people with anxiety disorders those with PTSD have an overactive threat system that contributes to (4)
- Avoidance behavior
- Behavioral inhibition
- Heightened loss aversion (difficulty tolerating potential loss
- Pessimistic judgements (in decision making)
Like people with depression people with trauma have an ______active reward system
Underactive
An underactive reward system includes underactive (2)
- Nucleus accumbens = diminished reward seeking
- prefrontal cortex = impaired executive functioning
Like people with depression and underactive reward system contributes to (5)
- Lack of approach behavior
- Anhedonia
- Low motivation
- Pessimistic judgements
- Lack of positive emotion
