Limbic System

Question 1

What are the downstream targets of the limbic system?

Answer 1

1. Anterior and Mid Cingulate cortex
2. Amygdala
3. Hypothalamus
4. Periaqueductal gay (PAG)
5. Autonomic Nervous systerm
6. Dorsal Raphe Nucleus (DRN) and Locus Coeruleus (LC)

Question 2

What are the functions of the Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC)?

Answer 2

. Store emotional / valenced infromation

. Recode the Amygdala

Question 3

What are the functions of the Mid-Cingulate Cortex (MCC)?

Answer 3

. Select responses (mental or motor)
. Predict outcomes and resolve ambiguity
. Improvise new behaviors for new problems

Question 4

How does Amygdala work?

Answer 4

. Invests sensory experience with emotional significance

. Most prominently involved in fear.

Question 5

Function of the Hypothalamus

Answer 5

Autonomic / Hormonal control

Question 6

How does the Periaqueductal gray (PAG) function?

Answer 6

Coordinate behaviors; autonomic/skeletal

Question 7

What is the function of the Autonomic Nervous Systerm (ANS)?

Answer 7

Skeletal motor output & memory enhancement

Question 8

What are the functions of the Locus Coeruleus (LC)?

Answer 8

. Coordinates responses

. Enhances storage of emotional memories

Question 9

How does the Dorsal Raphe Nucleus (DRN) work?

Answer 9

Regulates mood

Question 10

What are primary emotions?

Answer 10

They are reflexive emotions (implicit). Linked with autonomic reflexes. Fear is the most well-studied implicit emotion.
Amygdala, hypothalamus, PAG

Question 11

What are the secondary emotions?

Answer 11

They are conscious emotions. Object and context depended and involve conscious processing.
Cortical limbic structures

Question 12

Which region of the cingulate gyrus affect emotion?

Answer 12

. Anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)

. Midcingulate cortex (MCC)

Question 13

Function of ACC

Answer 13

Anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is involved in Affect. It stores long-term emotional memories, and it operates through the autonomic nervous system via projections to the nucleus of the solitary tract (NST) and the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMX)

Question 14

Function of MCC

Answer 14

Midcingulate cortex (MCC) is involved in motivated beharior and response selection, its anterior part is active during fear, and it operates through its spinal projections to the skeletomotor system. It also has extensive projections to the striatum, red nucleus, pontine nuclei (cerebellum), and cranial nerve motor nuclei for somatomotor driving of alpha motor neurons.

Question 15

How is the LC/NE combined with the limbic motor systems

Answer 15

1. NTS/PVT mediate heart rate responses in sACC/Central Amyg
2. PAG:NE selects F-F
3. PVN drives HPA Axis; NE, ACTH, cortisol
4. Enhances Amygdala processing and memory