Neural Mechanisms of emotion processing

Question 1

What are the 4 key regions in emotion processing?

Answer 1

1. ortbital frontal PFC & ventromedial PFC
2. dorsolateral PFC
3. amygdala and hippocampus
4. anterior cingulate cortex

Question 2

What’s the advantage/disadvantage of PET? fMRI?

Answer 2

PET:
advantage: studies NTs, disadvantage: low resolution
fMRI:
advantage: studies brain activation, more resolution

Question 3

What are the two main regions of the PFC? What are they associated with?

Answer 3

1. Dorsolateral PFC (cold processing) - ex. tower of london

2. Orbitofrontal/ventromedial PFC (hot processing) - ex. emotional stroop test

Question 4

What are the main functions of the amygdala?

Answer 4

• integrated centre of emotion
• emotional learning and fear conditioning
• function depends on connection with other brain regions

Question 5

What are the functions of the hippocampus?

Answer 5

• learning and memory
• stress regulation
• connected to HPA axis

Question 6

What are the functions of the anterior cingulate?

Answer 6

• bridge between attention and emotion

Question 7

What is the function of the anterior insula?

Answer 7

• emotional experience and subjective feelings

Question 8

What are the three processes of emotional perception?

Answer 8

1. identification of emotional significance of a stimulus (ventral system)
2. production of affective state (ventral system)
3. regulation of affective state (hippocampus, anterior cingulate and prefrontal cortex)

Question 9

What is the neural pathology associated with depression?

Answer 9

• decreased activation in the dorsal lateral (cognitive) area and increased activation in the ventromedial (affective) area
• SSRI’s alter this and greatest change after CBT

Question 10

What structural pathologies are there in MDD?

Answer 10

• decreased volume in PFC

Question 11

What is the abnormally high activation of the ventromedial area associated with?

Answer 11

Possessing an S allele in the 5-HTTPLR polymorphism