M7: Stress, Trauma, Psychopathology; Anxiety, OCD Flashcards
gene related to whether people show stress responses to maltreatment of children
MAO-A (monoamine oxidase A) gene; breaks down dopamine, epinephrine, and serotonin
chromosome that holds the MAO-A gene
X chromosome
limbic system area that activates during the experience of physical and social pain
anterior cingulate cortex
activation of the anterior cingulate cortex is responsible for …
the unpleasantness of physical and social pain
study of how our immune system is affected by psychological factors
psychoneuroimmunology
psych factors that REDUCE immune system functioning (6)
loneliness, poor social support, (-) mood, disruption of marital relationships, bereavement, natural disasters
psych factor that INCREASES immune system functioning
close friendships
cytokines
proteins of immune system; causes feelings of malaise + lethargy that accompany stress and depression
system that is fired up when we are threatened
sympathetic nervous system
under stress, hypothalamus stimulates …
the pituitary gland
class of hormones that are produced by the pituitary gland that prepare us to deal with stressors
glucocorticoids
important hormone-producing glands of HPA axis (3)
hypothalamus, pituitary gland, adrenal glands
autonomic nervous system plays a role in what important internal functions (3)
(1) maintains homeostasis (2) coordinates responses to exercise and stress (3) regulates reproductive organ functioning
opposing systems divided from autonomic nervous system (2)
sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system
stages of Selye’s general adaptation syndrome (3)
(1) alarm (2) resistance (3) exhaustion stage
Selye’s GAS: alarm stage
sympathetic nervous system»_space; fight or flight
Selye’s GAS: resistance stage
body adjusts to the continuous stress
Selye’s GAS: exhaustion stage
constant strain depletes body’s resources
McEwen’s allostasis
body attempts to change itself to achieve stability when in changing environmental circumstances; may or may not cause stress
responses of allostatic load (2)
(1) fight or flight responses (2) tend and befriend
Shelley Taylor: response to stress, males vs females
males tend to enter fight of flight; females engage in tend and befriend
tend and befriend
tendency to seek social contact, and to protect and sooth offspring and others in distress
acute stress disorder
short-term rxn to traumatic + non-traumatic stress
post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
stress rxn that lasts much longer to the original stressor - something that is traumatic in nature
up through WWI, PTSD was believed to be caused from … (2)
air-shock + shell shock (exploding canon balls or artillery shells)
symptoms of PTSD (5)
(1) exposure to trauma (2) flashbacks, distressing memories (3) psych rxns to relatable stimuli (4) stimuli avoidance (5) (-) cognitive symptoms
(-) cognitive symptoms of PTSD (3)
(1) lack of concentration (2) self-blame (3) sleep disturbances
PTSD susceptibility is related to what brain malfunction?
inability to inhibit fear response
brain connection associated with PTSD
inhibitory connections b/w frontal lobes + amygdala
psychological therapies most frequently used for PTSD (3)
(1) exposure (2) CBT (3) eye movement desensitization + reprocessing
conscious cognitive system
operates slowly; considers possible bad things that may be related to the stimulus
unconscious limbic system (esp amygdala)
makes snap associations b/w stimuli; fear that may or may not agree with conscious system
monkey-snake example: EVIDENCE of observed fear
monkeys who don’t fear snakes encountered monkeys who responded to snakes with fear; monkeys learned fear of snakes
monkey-snake example: LIMITATION to observed fear
observed fear only occurs when stimuli has evolutionary significance
brain area involved with anxiety vs fear
anxiety involves same regions of brain that regulate fear system
brain malfunction associated with anxiety disorders
underproduction of GABA
general anxiety disorder involves
low levels of anxiety occurring for at least 6 months
panic disorder
short periods of abject terror that occur multiple times over a matter of weeks
social anxiety disorder
persistent and severe fear of social situations»_space; avoidance of social situations
agoraphobia
fear of public situations/crowds; literal translation “fear of the marketplace”
symptoms of blood-injection-injury phobia versus other phobias (2)
decreased heart rate; fainting
common systems of typical phobias (2)
increased heart rate; activation of sympathetic nervous system
most effective treatment for specific phobias
exposure
OCD: obsessions
disturbing, uncontrollable thoughts
OCD: compulsions
disruptive behaviors that are used to control obsessions
Feygin’s themes for OCD behavior (4)
(1) loss of person or valuable (2) excessive need for physical security (3) need for environmental cleanliness + order (4) deprivation of resources important to person
Feygin: loss of person or valuable»_space;
response similar to anxious attachment disorder
Feygin: excessive need for physical security»_space;
need to constantly check things
Feygin: deprivation of resources that have personal importance»_space;
hoarding
common drug to treat OCD
tricyclics + SSRIs
common psychological treatment for OCD
exposure and response prevention
Feygin OCD theme: need for environmental cleanliness + order»_space; (2)
excessive hygiene + order
