Neuroscience of Stress Flashcards
what is stress caused by?
an external trigger of some kind (ex. being told you have a midterm on Friday)
how is anxiety defined?
persistent, excessive worry that a doesn’t go away even in the absence of a trigger
is stress short or long term?
short term
what is the definition of stress?
a psychological and physiological response to a stimulus (stressor)that alters the body’s equilibrium
what are the 2 types of stress?
psychological stressors (ex. deadlines, pressures at school)
physical (ex. infection, injury, hunger)
is some stress good?
yes
what shape of a graph is between arousal and performance?
inverted U curve
when are difficult tasks performed Better?
during low stress levels
when are easy tasks performed better?
during high stress levels
what is the arousal and performance relationship really similar to on the x axis?
cortisol
with increasing levels of cortisol means what?
people have better cognitive function but lower levels of performance (if we have too much or not enough cortisol)
what are the 2 axes that are activated when we have a stress response?
- Immediate response (SAM axis)
- slightly delayed response (HPA axis)
our SAM axis is primarily what?
synaptic
which axis is faster?
SAM axis (almost reflexive)
our HPA axis is primarily what?
hormonal
what is an example of the SAM axis being activated?
walking down the street, stepping off the curb with a truck coming, you immediately step back onto the curb very quickly
why is the HPA axis slightly delayed?
because we have to release multiple different hormones. We have to wait for cortisol to be released
how long can cortisol remain in the body after a stressful response?
days after
what activates the SAM stress response?
amygdala
where does the distress signal travel to after the amygdala?
hypothalamus
what activates the sympathetic nervous system?
locus coeruleus in the brainstem (release of epinephrine and norepinephrine)
what is responsible for releasing epinephrine and norepinephrine?
adrenal medulla
what does the hypothalamus release in the HPA axis ?
CRH