Limbic system Flashcards
What area of the brain is involved in planning, decision making, and social behavior
Prefrontal cortex
Damage to prefrontal cortex could cause
Blunted affect
Loss of initiative
Loss of inhibition
‘infantile personality’
What area of the brain is associated with motivated behaviors
prefrontal cortex
Limbic system is composed of what brain structures (PATCH HO)
prefrontal cortex
amygdala
thalamus
cingulate gyrus
hippocampus
hypothalamus
olfactory connections
What system is also referred to as primitive brain or reptilian brain
limbic system
Limbic system links conscious function with ___function
autonomic function
Hippocampus is really important in what type of memory
consolidation of memory (short-term memory)
Damage to hippocampus would cause what type of amnesia
anterograde amnesia (long-term memories remain, unable to form new memories)
What structure is considered the aggression center and is in charge of anger, violence, fear, anxiety
amygdala
in what disorder do we have hyperactive amygdala
PTSD
stimulation of amygdala leads to what
anxiety disorders, anger, violence
depression of amygdala leads to what
hyper-orality
hyper-sexuality
disinhibition
reckless behavior
Why does depression of amygdala cause those problems?
not afraid of what would happen
To what two structures does amygdala have output to?
hypothalamus
prefrontal cortex
Amygdala and hypothalamus function
HR, visceral and somatic functions
Amygdala and prefrontal cortex
tell someone you love them
acts of violence
suppress violent acts
What does the hypothalamus regulate
ANS
What regulates body temperature, sleep/wake cycle
hypothalamus
what regulates hormone secretion and hormone regulation
hypothalamus
through what structures does the hypothalamus regulate hormone secretion and regulation
through infundibulum to pituitary gland
What brain structure regulates pain and emotion
cingulate gyrus
what brain structure drives conscious response to negative experiences and avoidance of negative consequences
Cingulate gyrus
where does the tuberinfundibular pathway originate
hypothalamus
through what structures does the tuberoinfundibulnar pathway signal through
sends signals through infundibulum to the pituitary
damage to tuberoinfundibular pathway causes what
galactorrhea and amenorrhea
Does dopamine inhibit or excite prolactin via D2 receptors
inhibits prolactin via D2 receptors on pituitary lactotroph cells
where does nigrostriatal pathway originate
substantia nigra
where does nigrostriatal pathway project
originates in substantia nigra and projects to caudate and putamen
Nigrostriatal pathway is also referred to as
basal ganglia pathway
Damage to nigrostriatal pathway/basal ganglia pathway can lead to what disease
Parkinson’s disease
Where is ventral Tegmental area positioned
between substantia nigra
what type of neurons are found in ventral Tegmental area
dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain
ventral tegmental area gives rise to what pathways
mesocortical
mesolimbic
Ventral tegmental area functions in
cognition
emotion
behavior
reward pathway
What pathway gives rise of negative symptoms in schizophrenia
mesocortical
what pathway gives rise to positive symptoms in schizophrenia
mesolimbic pathway
what pathway is hypoactive in schizophrenia
mesocortical
what pathway is hyperactive in schizophrenia
mesolimbic
mesocortical pathway originates in VTA and travels to what brain structure
prefrontal cortex
When does mesocortical pathway mature
adolescence or young adulthood
amphetamines release dopamine in mesocortical pathway leading to what
increased cognition
Damage to what pathway impairs control and functioning
mesocortical pathway
mesolimbic pathway originates in VTA and projects to what brain structure
nucleus accumbens
mesolimbic pathway is also referred to as
reward pathway
what pathway mediates feelings of pleasure and reward
mesolimbic pathway
from what structure are feelings of rewards generated from in the mesolimbic pathway
nucleus accumbens
limbic system connects the mesolimbic pathway with what 2 brain structures
amygdala
hippocampus
what drugs directly increase dopamine
cocaine
amphetamines
nicotine
what drugs indirectly increase dopamine
opiates
alcohol
Dysfunction of mesolimbic and mesocortical pathways are implicated in what 2 diseases
schizophrenia
autism
where does dopamine INITIALLY afire in response to reward
VTA
unexepected rewards results in what in terms of dopamine
greater release of dopamine
What is the quality of being noticeable or important
salience
what pathway enhances motivation properties of cues and rewards
mesolimbic pathway
the ‘high’ we feel is controlled by what brain structure
nucleus accumbens
the ‘high’ is caused by an increase in
synaptic dopamine
when ____ pathways capacity is reduced, it leads us to seek artificial rewards over natural rewards
when working memory from MESOCORTICAL pathway capacity is reduced, it leads us to seek artificial rewards over natural rewards
Stress and working memory
During times of stress, working memory is decreased
what is the primary event that occurs in schizophrenia patients
mesocortical damage
Glutamate hypothesis in mesolimbic pathway for schizophrenia
decreased glutamate (NMDA receptors) –> decreased GABA released –> less inhibition of dopaminergic neurons –> increased dopamine from VTA to hippocampus –> psychosis
Glutamate hypothesis in mesocortical pathway for schizophrenia
NMDA receptors that directly stimulate dopamine are reduced –> decreased dopamine –> negative symptoms
Serotonin receptors primarily implicated in schizophrenia
5-HT2 subtypes
People with schizophrenia and nicotine
people with schizophrenia are more likely to be heavy tobacco users that normal population
what drug acts of 5-HT2A receptors
LSD
what 3 NT are implicated in schizophrenia
serotonin
glutamate
dopamine
depression results from abnormalities in what brain region
cortico-limbic region
3 major NT implicated in depression
serotonin
dopamine
norepinephrine
SERotonin and depression
sleep
emotion
remember (memory)
NORepinephrine
No hesitation
On alert
Recall memory
‘cognitive alertness’
DOPamine
determination
obsession
pleasure
in autism, there is chronic inflammation and dysfunction to what brain cells
microglia
in autism, what NT is increased
glutamate
in autism, what NT is decreased
GABA
what is the main structure that shows overgrowth in autism
amygdala
