Limbic System Flashcards

1
Q

The limbic system is composed of brain structures responsible for ____________________________.

A

lower‐level cognitive functions

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2
Q

What are examples of the limbic system functions?

A

1) Emotional control
2) Memory
3) Reward
4) Olfactory recognition

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3
Q

Why is the limbic system important?

A

Important for individualized interpretation of internal and external stimuli.

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4
Q

The limbic system regions are ____________________ and develop FASTER/SLOWER in life.

A

evolutionarily older
FASTER

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5
Q

What is the limbic system composed of?

A

1) Cingulate gyrus
2) Hippocampus
3) Amygdala
4) Mammillary bodies
5) Fornix
6) Hypothalamus
7) Specific thalamic nuclei
8) Nucleus accumbens
9) Insula
10) Olfactory system

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6
Q

The core components of the limbic system are found in the _________________.

Mammillothalamic tract
Mammillary bodies
Nucleus accumbens
Amygdala
Hippocampus
Fornix
Anterior and mediodorsal
thalamic nuclei

A

diencephalon

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7
Q

The core components of the limbic system are in close proximity and interconnected in pathways that resemble a ____________.

A

ring

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8
Q

What is the hippocampal formation composed of?

A

1.) Hippocampus
2.) Dentate gyrus
3.) Subiculum
4.) Fornix (fibers)

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9
Q

The hippocampal formation involves ___________-term memory, __________________, ___________, and _____________.

A

short
spatial navigation
attention
learning

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10
Q

The hippocampal formation has direct connections to the ____________ and _____________________.

A

amygdala and mammillary bodies

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11
Q

The hippocampal formation is divided into 5 layers; what are they called?

A

CA1
CA2
CA3
CA4
Dentate gyrus (DG)

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12
Q

The hippocampus receives most of its afferent fibers from the ________________.

A

entorhinal cortex

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13
Q

The entorhinal cortex connects it to the ___________, the ______________, and the ____________________.

A

neocortex, the cingulate gyrus, and the olfactory bulb.

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14
Q

The ___________________ is known as the limbic cortex, given its function in logical processing of emotion and its extensive connections to the neocortex.

A

cingulate gyrus

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15
Q

Efferent fibers leave in a structure known as ___________ to project mainly to the _________________ to retrieve recollective memories .

A

fornix
mammillary bodies

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16
Q

Efferent fibers leave in the fornix to the mammilary bdies and to the ____________ (which includes the nucleus accumbens) to _____________________.

A

septal area
regulate reward

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17
Q

What is the interface between motivation and action?

A

The nucleus accumbens (NAc)

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18
Q

What is the integrative center for emotions, emotional behavior, and motivation

A

the amygdala

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19
Q

What is important for responses like fear, anxiety, and aggression?

A

the amygdala

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20
Q

What is crucial in processing of emotional-driven memory and decision-making?

A

the amygdala

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21
Q

The amygdala is the “___________________” area of the brain.

A

fight-or-flight

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22
Q

The amygdala receives inputs from all senses and has many ___________ inputs.

A

visceral

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23
Q

The amygdala is divided into how many nuclei?

A

5

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24
Q

What are the amygdala’s nuclei called?

A
  1. central
  2. basolateral
  3. lateral
  4. basal
  5. medial
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25
Q

The amygdala receives _____________________ from all sensory modalities and projects efferents to centers that regulate _______________________ and ________________.

A

sensory input
physiological responses and memory.

MEMORIZE DIAGRAM

26
Q

What are the 4 inputs of the amygdala?

A
  1. Thalamus
  2. Sensory Cortex (sensory info)
  3. Olfactory bulb (olfactory stimuli)
  4. Hippocampus (memory regarding stimuli)
27
Q

What are the 3 outputs of the amygdala?

A
  1. Hypothalamus
  2. Brainstem (autonomic, physiological and hormonal responses)
  3. Hippocampus (memory consolidation)
28
Q

The amygdala mediates fear, anxiety, and aggression by ______ main pathways.

A

two

29
Q

What are the two amygdala pathways called?

A

high road processing
low road processing

30
Q

The high road involves ___________________ processing.

A

logical

31
Q

The _______ road recruits memories.

A

high

32
Q

TRUE or FALSE
The low road is immediate!

A

TRUE

33
Q

During amygdala hijack, anxiety, and panic attacks there is INCREASED/DECREASED thalamic activity and INCREASED/DECREASED frontal lobe activity.

A

INCREASED thalamic
DECREASED frontal lobe activity

34
Q

What are some examples of excessive amygdalar and hypothalamic responses?

A

hyperventilation, sweating, chest pain, headache, dizziness

35
Q

Increased thalamic activity involves ___________ overload and unusual/heightened ________________.

A

sensory
perceptions

36
Q

Decreased frontal lobe activity involves ________________, ___________, and __________________.

A

confusion, disorientation, and impulsivity.

37
Q

The __________________________ and __________________________ are regions in rostral to the hypothalamus and the striatum.

A

nucleus accumbens (NAc) and the olfactory tubercle

38
Q

The nucleus accumbens (NAc) and the olfactory tubercle are known as the ________________ ____________.

A

ventral striatum

39
Q

The ventral striatum is an anatomical component of the ____________________, but a functional component of the ___________________, serving as a key ______________________.

A

basal ganglia
limbic system
limbic-motor interface

40
Q

The ______________________ regulates the cognitive processing of motivation, aversion, reward, pleasure, positive reinforcement, and reinforcement learning.

A

nucleus accumbens

41
Q

The ____________________ mediates reward cognition, attentional behaviors, and social and sensory responsiveness.

A

olfactory tubercle

42
Q

The nucleus accumbens and olfactory tubercle are known as the ______________ pathway.

A

mesolimbic

43
Q

The nucleus accumbens and olfactory tubercle receive ___________________ input from the _________ in the midbrain.

A

dopaminergic
VTA

44
Q

The mesocorticolimbic pathway regulates the multiple cognitive and emotional processes required for:

A
  • Incentive salience (cravings for reward)
  • Associative learning
  • Reinforcement of stimuli associated with positive emotions such as joy and pleasure
45
Q

The mesocorticolimbic pathway is also known as the:

A

reward pathway

46
Q

What are the components of the reward pathway? (5)

A

Ventral tegmental area (VTA)
Nucleus accumbens (NAc)
Hippocampus
Amygdala
Prefrontal cortex

47
Q

Why would the reward pathway go to the hippocampus?

A

It is important for spatial/contextual/relational/novelty processing.

48
Q

What would the reward pathway go to the basolateral amygdala?

A

It is important for aversive/appetitive conditioning, affective processing, and reward value.

49
Q

Where does the NAc output to?

A

-Ventral pallidum
-hypothalamus
-midbrain
-motor effector sites

50
Q

The VTA sends signals to what three things?

A

1) Basolateral amygdala
2) prefrontal cortex
3) NAc

51
Q

Why is the prefrontal cortex important in the reward pathway?

A

It deals with selective attention, conflict resolution, flexibility, and working memory

52
Q

What structure send signals to the NAc?

A

Hippocampus (vSub)
Basolateral amygdala
VTA
Prefrontal cortex

53
Q

TRUE OR FALSE:
Addictive substances activate the reward pathway very effectively

A

TRUE

54
Q

What refers to the engagement in a compulsive behavior given its rewarding or pleasurable effect?

A

Addiction

55
Q

In the addicted brain, the circuit between the _________ and the _________ becomes dysfunctional, leading to STRONGER/WEAKER activation of the ________.

A

Prefrontal cortex
NAc
STRONGER
NAc

56
Q

The basal ganglia are also involved in limbic functions related to ___________________, ___________________, and ______________________ behaviors.

A

movement, cognitive and emotional behaviors

57
Q

In regards to Parkinson’s, which structure deals with these characteristics:

*ICD
*apathy
*depression
*impaired cognition
*motor symptoms

A

cingulate gyrus

58
Q

In regards to Parkinson’s, which structure deals with these characteristics:

*ICD
*impaired reward learning
*apathy
*depression
*anxiety
*autonomic dysfunction

A

ventral striatum

59
Q

In regards to Parkinson’s, which structure deals with these characteristics:

*sleep disorders
*autonomic dysfunctions

A

hypothalamus

60
Q

In regards to Parkinson’s, which structure deals with these characteristics:

*impaired affective processing
*impaired cognition
*sleep disorders
*autonomic dysfunctions
*motor symptoms

A

Amygdala

61
Q

In regards to Parkinson’s, which structure deals with these characteristics:

*dementia
*impaired cognition
*impaired action control

A

Hippocampus

62
Q

What are the two “pathways” in the hippocampal circuitry?

A

1.) Septal area & mammillary bodies (goes thru the FORNIX) ->hippocampus (entorhinal cortex) -> cingulate gyrus

2.) medial hypothalamus -> amygdala -> entorhinal cortex -> cingulate cortex