Limbic Structures and Emotions

Question 1

What is an emotion?

Answer 1

Physiological responses that occur largely unconsciously when the brain detects changes in stimuli.

Question 2

What is Papez’s circuit?

Answer 2

Hypothalamus -> anterior thalamus -> cingulate cortex. Cingulate cortex converges signals from hypothalamus and sensory cortex. Sensory cortex projects to hippocampus and cingulate cortex, which projects to mammillary bodies of hypothalamus

Question 3

What is Kluver-Bucy syndrome?

Answer 3

occurs after bilateral removal of temporal lobes in primates, induces alterations in feeding habits, sexual behaviors, lack of fear of previously feared objects.

Question 4

What was MacLean’s limbic system theory?

Answer 4

Proposed that the hippocampus was involved both in expression of emotional responses in the body and the conscious experience of feelings

Question 5

What happens to association fear with lesions of the amygdala?

Answer 5

Unable to learn the association correctly.

Question 6

What disease did patient SM have, and what happened?

Answer 6

Had Urbach-Wiethe disease, which is an impaired ability to recognize and experience fear due to complete calcification of both amygdalae

Question 7

Which of the amygdala nuclei is the conditioned stimulus-unconditioned stimulus in fear conditioning stored?

Answer 7

In the lateral nuclei

Question 8

What nuclei of the amygdala is important for output of fear conditioning?

Answer 8

Central nucleus of the amygdala controls freezing in the central gray nucleus, autonomic response in the lateral hypothalamus, and hormone release from the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus

Question 9

What is the direct (low) road of fear conditioning, and what is the indirect (high) road?

Answer 9

Low road: somatosensory/auditory thalamus -> to lateral nucleus of amygdala -> central nucleus of amygdala -> response
High road goes through the auditory and/or somatosensory cortex