neurophysiology of emotion

Question 1

the limbic system is recognized to control (or be involved in controlling) what?

Answer 1

the emotional behavior and motivational drives

Question 2

I may not recognize an emotion until my heart starts pounding. what part of the limbic system is responsible for this?

Answer 2

the hypothalamus and its connection to the ANS

Question 3

what nucleus in the basal ganglia is responsible for the sensation of pleasure?

Answer 3

nucleus accumbens

Question 4

what nucleus in the basal ganglia is responsible for disgust?

Answer 4

putamen

Question 5

what regions of the limbic system are linked to surprise?

Answer 5

parahippicampal regions

Question 6

what part of the limbic system is associated with fear and anger?

Answer 6

the amygdala

Question 7

what is the important feature of the cingulate cortex?

Answer 7

many of these neurons show after-discharge meaning that once the event has ended the neurons will keep firing so emotions like anger and sadness will last longer

Question 8

the cingulate cortex is mostly what (in terms of layers)?

Answer 8

paleocortex (3 layers)

Question 9

what is used to create the physiologic response to emotion?

Answer 9

the hypothalamus

Question 10

what relays sensory information into the system?

Answer 10

thalamus

Question 11

what are the basal ganglia tied to?

Answer 11

disgust and pleasure

Question 12

what is significant about the anterior cingulate cortex?

Answer 12

it is associated with higher level of control and sadness

Question 13

what is the mirror neuron system?

Answer 13

the system of neurons that is responsible for a person being able to recognize an emotion in someone else when they can experience that emotion

Question 14

when do mirror neurons fire?

Answer 14

when you do something (smile) and when you see someone else do that same action

Question 15

what are the two kinds of fear?

Answer 15

innate and conditioned

Question 16

what are the two most frequently cited innate fears in humans?

Answer 16

falling and loud noises

Question 17

what structure is related to the processing and recognition of social cues related to fear?

Answer 17

the amygdala

Question 18

the sensory inputs used to create fear arrive at the amygdala by two pathways. What are they?

Answer 18

1. direct thalami-amygdaloid pathway to the lateral nucleus of the amygdala 2. an indirect thalami-cortico-amygdaloid pathway to the lateral nucleus of the amygdala

Question 19

what is the direct thalamo-amygdaloid pathway to the lateral nucleus of the amygdala responsible for?

Answer 19

rapid responses

Question 20

what is the indirect thalamo-cortico-amygdaloid pathway to the lateral nucleus of the amygdala responsible for?

Answer 20

later responses

Question 21

inputs of fear arrive where?

Answer 21

the lateral nucleus of the amygdala

Question 22

where is the paired information that the amygdala integrates then sent to?

Answer 22

to the basal and intercalated nuclei for additional processing

Question 23

where is information from the lateral, basal, and intercalated nuclei then sent to?

Answer 23

to the central nucleus of the amygdala

Question 24

where is information from the central nucleus of the amygdala then sent?

Answer 24

to the hypothalamus

Question 25

what part of the amygdala determines what the response to a potentially fearful stimulus should be?

Answer 25

the central nucleus of the amygdala

Question 26

anger is mediated through what part of the brain?

Answer 26

the amygdala

Question 27

experiencing and recognizing anger requires what?

Answer 27

dopamine acting at D2 receptors

Question 28

how do inhibit anger?

Answer 28

through the neocortex, dorsomedial and hypothalamic nucleus

Question 29

avoidance is designed to prevent the occurrence of a behavior that has what?

Answer 29

short term rewards but long term negative consequences

Question 30

what anatomical substrate is involved in avoidance?

Answer 30

the lateral posterior hypothalamus, dorsal midbrain, entorhinal cortex

Question 31

what anatomical substrates are involved in sadness?

Answer 31

the lower sector of the anterior cingulate cortex

Question 32

what anatomical substrate is involved in experiencing disgust?

Answer 32

the insular cortex and putamen

Question 33

what neurodegenerative disease causes damage to the putamen and therefore those patients cannot experience and notice disgust?

Answer 33

Huntington’s disease

Question 34

what is the parahippocampal gyrus important in detecting?

Answer 34

novelty or unexpected events “something new just happened’

Question 35

the anterior cingulate cortex is functionally divided into what two regions?

Answer 35

the ventral and the dorsal regions

Question 36

what is the ventral region of the anterior cingulate cortex responsible for?

Answer 36

affective functions

Question 37

what is the dorsal region of the anterior cingulate cortex responsible for?

Answer 37

cognitive functions

Question 38

what is the role of the ventral anterior cingulate cortex?

Answer 38

integration of all sensory and emotional processing; controlling emotional display (poker face vs. crying)

Question 39

the ventral anterior cingulate cortex sends information where?

Answer 39

to the pre-frontal cortex

Question 40

the ventromedial devision of the prefrontal cortex receives information from what four areas?

Answer 40

the amygdala, hippocampus, the temporal visual association area, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex

Question 41

what are the three roles of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex?

Answer 41

reward processing, integration of bodily signals (gut feeling), and top down regulation (delayed gratification)

Question 42

what is the participation of the olfactory cortex in emotion?

Answer 42

odors are a strong stimulus for emotion