Neuroscience of Stress

Question 1

what is stress caused by?

Answer 1

an external trigger of some kind (ex. being told you have a midterm on Friday)

Question 2

how is anxiety defined?

Answer 2

persistent, excessive worry that a doesn’t go away even in the absence of a trigger

Question 3

is stress short or long term?

Answer 3

short term

Question 4

what is the definition of stress?

Answer 4

a psychological and physiological response to a stimulus (stressor)that alters the body’s equilibrium

Question 5

what are the 2 types of stress?

Answer 5

psychological stressors (ex. deadlines, pressures at school)

physical (ex. infection, injury, hunger)

Question 6

is some stress good?

Answer 6

yes

Question 7

what shape of a graph is between arousal and performance?

Answer 7

inverted U curve

Question 8

when are difficult tasks performed Better?

Answer 8

during low stress levels

Question 9

when are easy tasks performed better?

Answer 9

during high stress levels

Question 10

what is the arousal and performance relationship really similar to on the x axis?

Answer 10

cortisol

Question 11

with increasing levels of cortisol means what?

Answer 11

people have better cognitive function but lower levels of performance (if we have too much or not enough cortisol)

Question 12

what are the 2 axes that are activated when we have a stress response?

Answer 12

1. Immediate response (SAM axis)
2. slightly delayed response (HPA axis)

Question 13

our SAM axis is primarily what?

Answer 13

synaptic

Question 14

which axis is faster?

Answer 14

SAM axis (almost reflexive)

Question 15

our HPA axis is primarily what?

Answer 15

hormonal

Question 16

what is an example of the SAM axis being activated?

Answer 16

walking down the street, stepping off the curb with a truck coming, you immediately step back onto the curb very quickly

Question 17

why is the HPA axis slightly delayed?

Answer 17

because we have to release multiple different hormones. We have to wait for cortisol to be released

Question 18

how long can cortisol remain in the body after a stressful response?

Answer 18

days after

Question 19

what activates the SAM stress response?

Answer 19

amygdala

Question 20

where does the distress signal travel to after the amygdala?

Answer 20

hypothalamus

Question 21

what activates the sympathetic nervous system?

Answer 21

locus coeruleus in the brainstem (release of epinephrine and norepinephrine)

Question 22

what is responsible for releasing epinephrine and norepinephrine?

Answer 22

adrenal medulla

Question 23

what does the hypothalamus release in the HPA axis ?

Answer 23

CRH

Question 24

where does CRH travel to after being released from the hypothalamus?

Answer 24

to the pituitary gland

Question 25

what does the pituitary gland release?

Answer 25

ACTH

Question 26

where does the ACTH travel to?

Answer 26

it stimulates the adrenal cortex to release cortisol

Question 27

what is the goal of releasing cortisol?

Answer 27

to release our energy stores to reposed to the stimulus in some way

Question 28

does the amygdala have strong or weak facility effect on the HPA axis?

Answer 28

really strong (amygdala Is the primitive part of the brain for fear and stress responses)

Question 29

what can we compare the prefrontal cortex of the brain to? Why?

Answer 29

Pinnochio. Because it is the rational part of the brain. It has an inhibitory role on the stress response

Question 30

what prevents the hypothalamus and pituitary gland from releasing more hormones?

Answer 30

the adrenal cortex sends information back to let them know the adrenal gland has health with the stressor.

Question 31

what is the negative feedback loop important for?

Answer 31

allostasis

Question 32

when we have chronic stress what happens?

Answer 32

we lose our ability to shut off the negative feedback loop

Question 33

are the physical and psychological stressors processed in the same part of the brain?

Answer 33

no. they are overlapping in some degree

Question 34

what do physical stressors mostly activate?

Answer 34

autonomic stress responses (SAM axis) for a faster response

Question 35

what do psychological stressors primarily activate?

Answer 35

the HPA axis

Question 36

what triggers the SAM axis?

Answer 36

locus cooeruleus

Question 37

what does the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus trigger?

Answer 37

HPA axis

Question 38

what structure is the main integrator of stress signals int he brain?

Answer 38

Paraventricular nucleus (PVN)

Question 39

what is in charge when we are alert and in control?

Answer 39

prefrontal cortex (letting us think clearly and rationally)

Question 40

what do we get higher levels of when we are stressed?

Answer 40

norepinephrine and dopamine which can quickly weaken our prefrontal cortex

Question 41

during acute stress, what does control switch to and from?

Answer 41

norepinephrine and dopamine switch the control from the prefrontal cortex to the limbic system

Question 42

according to a Monk what question can we ask ourselves to determine if our prefrontal or primitive brain has taken over?

Answer 42

"Do I want to feel the way I'm feeling right now?"

Question 43

what happens when we have chronic stress?

Answer 43

we lose the ability to turn off the HPA axis (turn off negative feedback loop)

Question 44

what can chronic stress also result in?

Answer 44

the receptors on the hypothalamus and pituitary gland start to become resistant to cortisol

Question 45

what does allostatic overload consider?

Answer 45

the cumulative effect of stressors on the body in both physiological and pathological situations when environmental challenges exceed the ability to cope

Question 46

what can the impact of chronic stress affect?

Answer 46

increase risk for disease and early mortality

Question 47

what is higher levels of cortisol over the years associated with?

Answer 47

worse cognition among older adults

Question 48

what can happen to the dendritic complexity in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex because of chronic stress?

Answer 48

reduced dendritic complexity

Question 49

what can chronic stress do to the amygdala?

Answer 49

possible hypertrophy

Question 50

what happens when someone is expose to stress at. younger age?

Answer 50

worse symptoms of chronic stress in those individuals

Question 51

what mental health conditions is stress strongly associated with?

Answer 51

depression, pTSD, substance use, anxiety

Question 52

what physiologically happens to people with major depression?

Answer 52

higher cortisol and smaller hippocampal volumes

Question 53

what Cana chronic stress do to the HPA axis?

Answer 53

it over activates it

Question 54

how can exercise treat chronic stress?

Answer 54

exercise can downgrade the stress response

Question 55

according to research, what kind of exercise improved parasympathetic nervous system and HPA regulation?

Answer 55

yoga and tai chi

Question 56

what happens to the brain from exercise?

Answer 56

increased ray matter volume in the insulation and hippocampus increased activation in the prefrontal cortex

Question 57

what effect do mindfulness interventions have on anxiety?

Answer 57

moderate effect

Question 58

according to a study, did the physiological sigh or meditation improve respiratory rate and mood more?

Answer 58

physiological sigh