Limbic System Flashcards
Contrast emotional state vs. feelings
EMOTIONAL STATES
Characteristic physiological responses (peripheral, autonomic, endocrine and musculoskeletal)
Subcortical structures; amygdale, hypothalamus, basal ganglia
FEELINGS
Conscious experience
Cortical structures; amygdala, cingulate gyrus, frontal lobes
Role of the Limbic system (MMOVES)
Memory Motivation Olfaction Visceral function Emotion Social Brain
What is involved in explicit learning?
the hippocampus
what is implicit memory
emotional learning that iscarried out by the amygdala; there is no need of conscious recall
which matures before the other?
the amygdala is mature first. The hippocampus isnt mature until after age 3
What affects behaviors, perceptions and processing?
an individuals early experiences
What components are involved in the Behavior adaptation system of Motivation
involves the frontal lobe and 2 primary specific circuits within the limbic system
what are the 2 primary specific circuits of BAS
reward and punishment
what is involved in the reward circuit
involves dopamine and has connections to the basal ganglia that leads to seeking gratifying actions
what is involved in the punishment circuit
involves Ach to provoke the fight or flight response (SNS) and enables us to cope with unpleasant situations
able to inhibit the reward circuit
What is the Behavioral Inhibition System
o Over activation of the parasympathetic system
o Activated when neither fight nor flight seem possible
Opossum playing “dead
What is the only sensory system that does NOT go through thalamus before going to sensory cortex
Olfactory
it can regenerate neurons
smell is a very powerful trigger esp with memories
Role of visceral function
- Regulation of thirst, hunger, sex drive, temperature, endocrine function
- Helps maintain homeostasis when there are changing external factors
describe the variety of patterns of ANS activation
o PNS and SNS are tonically active and active in varying degrees
What are the ANS inputs
Sensory drive from internal organs
• Provides info for making changes based on changing conditions of the organs
Many parts of the brain
what carries info from the ANS to its outputs
the hypothalamus
makes up 1% of brain tissue volume but regulates vital functions, controls pituitary gland, plays role in emotions
what are the hypothalamus outputs
pituitary
amygdala
HTRS pathway –> spinal cord
dorsal motor nucleus of X
what are emotions a combination of?
emotional states and feelings
what are the common characteristics of emotion
o All expressed through physiological changes which are different for each emotion
o All expressed with stereotypical motor responses (especially facial muscles)
o All have subjective experience that requires cortical connections
o Expression of emotions is closely tied to the ANS for hormonal changes, HR, BP, sweating, muscle activation, etc.
What do coordinated emotional behaviors not depend on?
do NOT depend on the cortex
where are emotional behaviors directed towards?
self- preservaton
what is the current theory of emotions?
that emotions are the result of dynamic interaction of body responses and cognitive processes that are integrated in the amygdala
What occurs at the cortex in relation to emotions?
this is where conscious experience of the emotional feelings occur
Role of the amygdala
o Mediates both the “inborn” and acquired emotional responses
o Provides emotional significance to internal and external stimuli
o Initiates appropriate autonomic and motor responses
Cortex gives “meaning” to our experiences
o Plays role in the learning of emotional responses
o Plays important role in the development of post-traumatic stress disorder
Connections of the amygdala
• Has connections from the thalamus and primary sensory and unimodal and multimodal association areas
Where does the amygdala project?
• Has connections from the thalamus and primary sensory and unimodal and multimodal association areas
What is important about the social brain
where we develop a sense of others before we get a sense of ourselves (attunement with others); involves the prefrontal cortex
function and importance of mirror neurons
Specialized neurons that become activated when a motor act is executed as well as when it is observed by another performing the motor act.
Ex: when a monkey eats a peanut is the same as when he watches another monkey eating the peanut
Mirror properties
o Way in which our social brain can perceive the intentional, goal-directed actions of others and link this to the priming of the motor systems to engage in that same action
Ex: babies imitating facial expressions
*Mirror properties only become active when the observed motion is “goal-directed”
What happens when there is damage to the limbic system?
behavioral and emotional problems difficulty with memory, learning and motivation Fear Frustration Anger Rage Violenece
