Neurophysiology of Emotion

Question 1

Why does emotion matter?

Answer 1

Tells you something is wrong (via facial expression after drinking sour milk = probably shouldn’t keep drinking that)

Question 2

*What part of the brain is associated with emotion?

Answer 2

Limbic system (mostly the paleocortex)

Question 3

Broadly, what is the limbic system responsible for?

Answer 3

Emotional behavior
Motivational drives

*both are closely tied together

Question 4

Why is the hypothalamus important in emotion?

Answer 4

It’s connected to the ANS and can affect physiological responses to emotion

Question 5

What is the role of olfactory areas in emotional processing?

Answer 5

Smell is critical in triggering emotion, both strongly linked so areas involved in olfaction processing can also be involved in emotion processing

Question 6

*What is the role of the thalamus in emotion processing?

Answer 6

Anterior nucleus of the thalamus (part of the Papez circuit) is involved with memory (which has strong ties to emotion) and plays a role in fear

Question 7

What is the role of the basal ganglia in emotion?

Answer 7

Mostly the nucleus accumbens and putamen. Have different roles in different emotions, mostly key role in pleasure and disgust

Question 8

How is the hippocampus involved in emotion processing?

How about the parahippocampal regions?

Answer 8

Also part of the Papez circuit, involved with memory which has strong links to emotion
-Parahippocampal regions linked to surprise (good at recognizing novelty)

Question 9

What is the role of the amygdala in emotion?

Answer 9

Fear and anger, as well as integration of emotions

Question 10

What is the role of the cingulate cortex in emotion?

Answer 10

Mostly the 3 layered paleocortex, has key role in higher level control of emotion and sadness
Also role in after discharge

Question 11

What is after discharge and why is it important?

Answer 11

Continued firing after emotional event. Explains the persistence of emotion even after event.
Ties to survival advantage of emotion (e.g. avoiding things that cause distress)

Question 12

What emotions are “hardwired” in the human brain?

Answer 12

SAD FAPS

Sadness, Anger, Disgust
Fear, Avoidance, Pleasure and surprise

Question 13

Why are these emotions significant?

Answer 13

Associated with expressions that are universal across species and cultures

Question 14

What is one important concept regarding expression and recognition of emotion?

Answer 14

Circuits that allow you to express emotion are the same circuits that allow you to identify emotion in others
If you can’t express an emotion, you also cannot recognize that emotion

Question 15

What is the mirror neuron system?

Answer 15

Fire both when you do something and when you see someone else do that same action. (imitative)
Appear critical in allowing us to recognize emotions (damage in autism)

Question 16

What is innate fear?

Answer 16

Requires no experience, unconditioned

In humans, usually falling or loud noises (olfaction in animals)

Question 17

What is learned fear?

Answer 17

Learned from experiences. Can be learned indirectly (watching someone else experience fear from a horror movie, so you fear ghosts too)

Question 18

What is the importance of the amygdala in fear?

Answer 18

Processes the recognition of social cues, emotional conditioning and memories related to fear

Question 19

What two pathways transmit fear info to the amygdala for processing?

Answer 19

1. Direct thalamo-amygdaloid pathway to lateral nucleus of amygdala (rapid initial fear response)
2. Indirect thalamo-cortico-amygdaloid pathway to lateral nucleus of amygdala (later responses to fear)

Question 20

What is the pathway of the fear info?

Answer 20

Inputs from both pathways > lateral nucleus of the amygdala > Basal Intercalated nucleus of amygdala > central nucelus of amygdala

Question 21

What happens in the Basal and Intercalated nucleus of amygdala?
How about the central nucleus?

Answer 21

• integration of associated events with fear

- Decides how to respond to fear input and tells the rest of the limbic system about the fear input

Question 22

What is the role of the hypothalamus in fear?

Answer 22

Central nucleus sends input here since connected to ANS > physiological response to fear

Question 23

What happens if there is amygdala damage?

Answer 23

Fear is not perceived, no fear processing

Question 24

How is anger processed?

Answer 24

Via the amygdala (because anger is closely tied with fear), requires dopamine binding to D2 receptors

Question 25

What happens if you block D2 receptors?

Answer 25

Lost ability to recognize anger

Question 26

What structures are responsible in controlling anger?

Answer 26

Neocortex, ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus, septal nuclei (do not suppress the feeling of anger, but regulates whether to act angry)

Question 27

What is avoidance?

Answer 27

Avoid behavior with short term rewards and long term negative consequence

Question 28

Which structures are critical for avoidance processing?

Answer 28

Lateral posterior hypothalamus
Dorsal midbrain
Entorhinal cortex

Question 29

Which structures are active when recalling or experiencing sad events?

Answer 29

Lower anterior cingulate cortex

Question 30

What structures are important in processing disgust?

Answer 30

Insular cotex and putamen

Question 31

Damage to the insula and putamen in Huntington’s results in?

Answer 31

Abolishment of sensation and recognition of disgust

Question 32

What structure is associated with surprise?

Answer 32

Para hippocampal gyrus (detects novelty and unexpected events)

Question 33

What structure is responsible for higher order/cortical processing of emotions?

Answer 33

Anterior cingulate cortex (ventral does affective while dorsal does cognitive)

Question 34

What is the role of the anterior cingulate cortex in cortical processing of emotions?

Answer 34

• Receives input of emotion from the limbic cortex structures
• Regulates affect (controlling emotions)
• Detects conflict between functional (right now, someone with scary face jumped in front of me and I’m scared) and new info (recognizing the person is your friend with a mask) and relays the info to the prefrontal cortex to decide what to do about it

Question 35

What is the role of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex?

Answer 35

Motor control based on info from motor areas like basal ganglia, cingulate cortex and motor cortices

Question 36

Where does the ventromedial prefrontal cortex receive info from?

Answer 36

Receives the input from the amygdala, hippocampus, visual temporal association area, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex

-this is the important one for emotion

Question 37

What are the three roles of the ventromedial portion of the prefrontal cortex?

Answer 37

Reward processing (orbitofrontal) - link emotion to reward
Integrating bodily signals - gut feeling
Top down regulation - delayed gratification