neurophysiology of emotion Flashcards
the limbic system is recognized to control (or be involved in controlling) what?
the emotional behavior and motivational drives
I may not recognize an emotion until my heart starts pounding. what part of the limbic system is responsible for this?
the hypothalamus and its connection to the ANS
what nucleus in the basal ganglia is responsible for the sensation of pleasure?
nucleus accumbens
what nucleus in the basal ganglia is responsible for disgust?
putamen
what regions of the limbic system are linked to surprise?
parahippicampal regions
what part of the limbic system is associated with fear and anger?
the amygdala
what is the important feature of the cingulate cortex?
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
the cingulate cortex is mostly what (in terms of layers)?
paleocortex (3 layers)
what is used to create the physiologic response to emotion?
the hypothalamus
what relays sensory information into the system?
thalamus
what are the basal ganglia tied to?
disgust and pleasure
what is significant about the anterior cingulate cortex?
it is associated with higher level of control and sadness
what is the mirror neuron system?
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
when do mirror neurons fire?
when you do something (smile) and when you see someone else do that same action
what are the two kinds of fear?
innate and conditioned
what are the two most frequently cited innate fears in humans?
falling and loud noises
what structure is related to the processing and recognition of social cues related to fear?
the amygdala
the sensory inputs used to create fear arrive at the amygdala by two pathways. What are they?
- 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
what is the direct thalamo-amygdaloid pathway to the lateral nucleus of the amygdala responsible for?
rapid responses
what is the indirect thalamo-cortico-amygdaloid pathway to the lateral nucleus of the amygdala responsible for?
later responses
inputs of fear arrive where?
the lateral nucleus of the amygdala
where is the paired information that the amygdala integrates then sent to?
to the basal and intercalated nuclei for additional processing
where is information from the lateral, basal, and intercalated nuclei then sent to?
to the central nucleus of the amygdala
where is information from the central nucleus of the amygdala then sent?
to the hypothalamus
what part of the amygdala determines what the response to a potentially fearful stimulus should be?
the central nucleus of the amygdala
anger is mediated through what part of the brain?
the amygdala
experiencing and recognizing anger requires what?
dopamine acting at D2 receptors
how do inhibit anger?
through the neocortex, dorsomedial and hypothalamic nucleus
avoidance is designed to prevent the occurrence of a behavior that has what?
short term rewards but long term negative consequences
what anatomical substrate is involved in avoidance?
the lateral posterior hypothalamus, dorsal midbrain, entorhinal cortex
what anatomical substrates are involved in sadness?
the lower sector of the anterior cingulate cortex
what anatomical substrate is involved in experiencing disgust?
the insular cortex and putamen
what neurodegenerative disease causes damage to the putamen and therefore those patients cannot experience and notice disgust?
Huntington’s disease
what is the parahippocampal gyrus important in detecting?
novelty or unexpected events “something new just happened’
the anterior cingulate cortex is functionally divided into what two regions?
the ventral and the dorsal regions
what is the ventral region of the anterior cingulate cortex responsible for?
affective functions
what is the dorsal region of the anterior cingulate cortex responsible for?
cognitive functions
what is the role of the ventral anterior cingulate cortex?
integration of all sensory and emotional processing; controlling emotional display (poker face vs. crying)
the ventral anterior cingulate cortex sends information where?
to the pre-frontal cortex
the ventromedial devision of the prefrontal cortex receives information from what four areas?
the amygdala, hippocampus, the temporal visual association area, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
what are the three roles of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex?
reward processing, integration of bodily signals (gut feeling), and top down regulation (delayed gratification)
what is the participation of the olfactory cortex in emotion?
odors are a strong stimulus for emotion
