Neurophysiology of Emotion: Karius DSA

Question 1

The Limbic system is recognized to control or be involved in controlling what?

Answer 1

• emotional behavior

- Motivational Drives

Question 2

what are the different areas of the limbic system?

Answer 2

• hypothalamus
• Olfactory areas (Para-Olfactory)
• Thalamus
• Basal Ganglia
• Hippocampus
• Amygdala
• Cingulate cortex

Question 3

what part of limbic system: Key player, emotional experience, physiological responses (connection to ANS)

Answer 3

Hypothalamus

Question 4

what part of limbic system: Anterior nucleus part of papez circuit, other regions involved in both input and output of limbic system

Answer 4

Thalamus

Question 5

what part of limbic system: contains Nucleus Accumbens, also putamen (disgust)

Answer 5

Basal Ganglia

Question 6

what part of limbic system: another part of the papez Circuit, plays role in learning/memory, memory and emotion strongly linked

Answer 6

Hippocampus

Question 7

what part of limbic system: associated with fear and anger. also role in learning and memory

Answer 7

Amygdala

Question 8

what part of limbic system: made up of mostly paleocortex (3 cell layers), some parts have full 6 layers. many of these neurons show AFTER DISCHARGE

Answer 8

Cingulate cortex

Question 9

Describe the role of the mirror neuron system

Answer 9

• fire both when you do something and when you see someone else do same action
• role in imitation and imitative learning

Question 10

what are the 2 kinds of fear?

Answer 10

• Innate (unconditioned)

- Learned (conditioned)

Question 11

Describe Innate fear?

Answer 11

• required so experience
• in animals, associated with olfactory cues
• Humans: falling and loud noises most frequently cited

Question 12

Describe Learned fear?

Answer 12

• from experience

- can also be from watching someone else experience a frightening thing

Question 13

what are the 2 pathways involved in the emotional conditioning in response to fear

Answer 13

• Direct thalamo-amygdaloid (early)

- Indirect thalamo-cortical-amygdaloid (late)

Question 14

in the emotional conditioning of fear, inputs from both the thalamic and cortex arrive where in the amygdala

Answer 14

lateral nucleus

Question 15

what integrates the inputs for fear (such as sound and an electric shock. example from slides)

Answer 15

lateral nucleus

Question 16

After the lateral nucleus of the amygdala integrates the inputs, where does it send the information for additional processing

Answer 16

Basal and intercalated nuclei

Question 17

the information of fear from the lateral, basal, and intercalated nuclei is sent where?

Answer 17

Central nucleus

Question 18

what does the central nucleus of the amygdala do after receiving the fear inputs?

Answer 18

decides what responses are required and relays information appropriately

Question 19

What is the hypothalamus role in reaction to fear

Answer 19

physiologic responses

Question 20

what happens in an individual with damage to the amygdala

Answer 20

Fear is not perceived, therefor conditioning related to fear does not occur

Question 21

what is the anatomical substrate for sadness

Answer 21

• lower sector of the anterior cingulate cortex

- Strongly activated when recalling sad events

Question 22

what are the anatomical substrates for Punishment/Avoidance?

Answer 22

• Lateral posterior hypothalamus
• Dorsal midbrain
• Entorhinal cortex

Question 23

What areas are involved in Disgust?

Answer 23

• Insular cortex/Putamen
• Processing and recognition of social cues related to disgust
• Damage (including Huntington’s disease) abolishes

Question 24

area for Anger/rage

Answer 24

• Amygdala

- requires dopaminergic input acting at D2 receptors

Question 25

inhibition of anger/rage requires what areas?

Answer 25

• neocortex
• Ventromedial hypothalamic nuclei
• Septal nuclei

Question 26

The anterior cingulate Cortex is functionally divided into what 2 regions

Answer 26

• Ventral - affective

- Dorsal - cognitive

Question 27

Describe the role of the Ventral affective division of the anterior cingulate cortex in emotion

Answer 27

• Integration of visceral, attentional, and emotional imput
• Regulation of Affect - particularly top-down control (“controlling our emotions”)
• monitors or detects conflict b/t our “functional” state (right now) and new information that has potential or motivational consequences. It doesn’t decide what to do, but relays the information to the prefrontal cortex

Question 28

what are the 2 divisions of the prefrontal cortex

Answer 28

Ventromedial

dorsolateral

Question 29

the Ventromedial prefontal cortex receives input from what areas

Answer 29

• Amygdala
• Hippocampus
• Temporal visual association area
• Dorsolater prefrontal cortex

Question 30

The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex receives input from what areas

Answer 30

• motor areas, including basal ganglia, pre and supplementary motor cortex
• cingulate cortex, especially parts related to performance monitoring
• several cortical association areas

Question 31

what are the 3 probable roles of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex

Answer 31

• Reward processing (orbitofrontal): with the amygdala, we link new stimulus to a primary reward
• Integration of bodily signals: the “gut feeling” - decision when logical analysis is unable to help
• Top Down regulation: especially towards delayed gratification