Neurology of emotion

Question 1

Limbic system

Answer 1

Originally; hippocampus and Papez circuit

Now; depends on who you ask, but generally;
- Cingulate cortex
- Hippocampus
- Anterior thalamus
- hypothalamus and mamillary bodies
- Amygdala
- Orbitofrontal cortex

Question 2

Panksepp

Answer 2

Thought all layers of the brain are important for emotion

The neocortex:
For planning, bonding, appraisal and context

Limbic system:
For communicative emotions

Reptilian:
Emotion reflexes

Question 3

Emotion localization

Answer 3

Used to think there are distinct modules in the brain that support discrete emotions, but not supported by research

Now:

Question 4

Amygdala

Answer 4

Involved in learning and representing emotional value, salience and relevance of stimuli

Needed for fear conditioning.
- Lesion in amygdala = no CSR, no fear response
- explicit memory remains intact, know they’ll receive shock but response to CS is gone (implicit memory)

Question 5

Somatic marker theory

Answer 5

Somatic markers are changes in the body/brain that arise due to experiences that had emotional outcomes.

Based on the made decision at that time, you’ll experience a similar feeling in a same scenario based on what happend the last time.

These are processed by the OFC (vmPFC) and the amygdala, which is the reason you loose the fear response in lesions here

Question 6

vmPFC/OFC

Answer 6

Used for adaptive learning based on reward and punishment.

Show a SCR when lesioned, but still go for the high risk in gambling task

Damasio’s patient: Personality change due to memory problems and keeping prospective in relation to other goals.

Orbiotfrontal syndrome;
- Disinhibited, impulsive
- Inappropriate, euphoria
- lability
- poor judgement/insight

Question 7

Demasio’s theory

Answer 7

Emotions are necessary for appropriate decisions.
OFC lesions impair decision making, partially due to impaired acquisition of somatic markers.

Route for somatic markers:
Perception of stimulus leard to evaluation (PFC and Amygdala)
Bodily response follows which is perceived by somatosensoy cortex.
Next time you perceive that stimulus: you skip the bodily response and feel the perception of somatosensory cortex. The as-if loop.