Limbic System: Behavior, Emotions, and Learning

Question 1

Major functions of the limbic system

Answer 1

Emotions and drives (amygdala), memory (hippocampal formation), homeostasis (hypothalamus), olfaction. The Four F’s: Feeding fighting fear fucking

Question 2

Dorsolateral PFC Function

Answer 2

Executive function, working memory, decision making, cognitive control

Question 3

ACC Function

Answer 3

Mediates reward anticipation, empathy, emotional processing, motivation

Question 4

Orbitofrontal Cortex Function

Answer 4

Corrects and inhibits maladaptive emotional responses, mediates socially appropriate behavior.

Question 5

Limbic system modulated by?

Answer 5

Wide variety of serotonergic, dopaminergic, cholinergic, noradrenergic projections

Question 6

Processes of Emotion Perception

Answer 6

Stimulus, appraisal (amygdala/insula), affective state (amygdala, ACC, OrbCtx, NAcc), regulation (anterior cingulate, hippocampus, PFC), which also affects appraisal.

Question 7

Schizophrenia Hypotheses

Answer 7

Major problems with mesolimbic pathway, hyperactivity of dopaminergic neurons cause psychosis, hypoactivity of dopaminergic neurons cause negative symptoms.

Question 8

Brain abnormalities in schizophrenia

Answer 8

Decreased activity of dorsolateral PFC and ACC. Decreased hippocampal activity during memory task performance. Inability to engage amygdala, anterior cingulate, and hippocampus in processing stimuli with high emotional valence.

Question 9

Learning

Answer 9

The strengthening of preexisting responses or behaviors, or the formation of new responses to existing stimuli that occurs because of practice or repetition, type of implicit memory.

Question 10

Habituation

Answer 10

Repeated stimulation results in a decreased response

Question 11

Sensitization

Answer 11

Repeated stimulation results in an increased response

Question 12

Classical conditioning

Answer 12

The association of a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus such that the neutral stimulus comes to bring about a response similar to that originally elicited by the unconditioned stimulus.

Question 13

Stimulus generalization

Answer 13

The conditioned response occurs when a new stimulus resembles the conditioned stimulus.

Question 14

Operant conditioning

Answer 14

Trial and error learning that is reinforced.

Question 15

Positive reinforcement

Answer 15

Introduction of a stimulus that results in an increase in the rate of a behavior

Question 16

Negative reinforcement

Answer 16

Removal of an aversive stimulus that results in an increase in the rate of behavior

Question 17

Punishment

Answer 17

Introduction of an aversive stimulus aimed at reducing the rate of unwanted behavior.

Question 18

What is stronger, fixed or variable ratio reinforcement

Answer 18

Variable ratio, produces slower learning, but more resistant to extinction.

Question 19

Neurobiology of operant conditioning

Answer 19

Nucleus basalis (ACh) activated after conditioned stimulus or primary reward, synaptic plasticity as mechanism of learning and memory formation.

Question 20

Dopamine reward system

Answer 20

Reward ->Cortex -> Vta -> Nacc -> Ventral pallidum -> Mediodorsal nucleus of thalamus ->PFC

Question 21

Kluver Busy Syndrome

Answer 21

Hyperorality, hypersexuality (no modulation of the hypothalamus by the amygdala), tame, no fear

Question 22

Urbach Wiethe Disease

Answer 22

Rare autosomal recessive disease, causes calcifications of the medial temporal lobes (amygdala) cant recognize fear or rate emotional intensity

Question 23

Neural pathways of empathy

Answer 23

Insula, ACC (triggers when something is wrong), amygdala/orbitofrontal/VMPFC (empathy and socially acceptable behavior)

Question 24

Antisocial personality disorder

Answer 24

You know this. Limbic dysfunction: amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex hypoactivity

Question 25

Limbic encephalitis

Answer 25

Causes acute short term memory loss, group of autoimmune disorders that affect the limbic system. Antibodies may appear in CSF, many different types

Question 26

Herpes simplex encephalitis

Answer 26

Usually caused by HSV-1, can cause confusion, personality change, seizures, impaired consciousness, impaired memory, can be fatal in 1-2 weeks.

Question 27

Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Answer 27

Can cause crazy symptoms like mood changes, hallucinations, hypersexually.