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PSYC2020 quiz 2 > PSYC2020 Practice Questions - Wk 8 Stress, Anxiety, Depression > Flashcards

PSYC2020 Practice Questions - Wk 8 Stress, Anxiety, Depression Flashcards

1
Q

What is stress? 3

A

A stimulus that disrupts internal balance
A deviation from homeostasis
Mental and physical state induced by stressor

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2
Q

What is fight or flight response?

A

Survival mechanism - react quickly to life threatening situations

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3
Q

What is a stress response?

A

Array of neural and endocrine systems that mobilise resources in response to a challenge to homeostasis

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4
Q

What happens in the stress response? 6

A 
Mobilise energy resources
 Increase blood pressure
 Think more clearly
 Enhance learning/memory
 Sharpen sensory thresholds
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5
Q

What are the two main hormones involved in stress?

A

Epinephrine (adrenaline)

Glucocorticoids (cortisol)

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6
Q

Why do we only have a single stress response?

A

Evolution is a tinkerer

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7
Q

What is good stress? 3

A

Mild, transient, no complete loss of control

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8
Q

What is bad stress? 4

A

Severe
Chronic
Unpredictable
Lack of control

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9
Q

What does optimal good stress result in ? 3

A

Arousal, alertness, stimulation

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10
Q

What is the key to optimal good stress? 2

A

You have control and involves a reward

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11
Q

What was one of the first psychosomatic disorders to be recognised?

A

Gastric ulcers

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12
Q

Where were Warren and Marshall from? What did they do?

A

Perth, WA. Discovery H pylori, Nobel prize for drinking bacteria.

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13
Q

What are the main brain areas involved in stress? 3

A

Amygdala - threat assessment
Hypothalamus - SNS
Pituitary gland

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14
Q

what is involved in stress memory?

A

Hippocampus

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15
Q

Which area is involved in emotional regulation in stress response?

A

ACC

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16
Q

Where would be the source of psychological stressors?

A

PFC

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17
Q

What endocrine system is involved in stress?

A

Adrenal glands

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18
Q

What are the two parts of the adrenal glands? Where? What do they release?

A 
Adrenal cortex (outer layer): release cortisol
 Adrenal medulla (middle): release epinephrine
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19
Q

4 characteristics of SAM system?

A

Fast response
Short acting
Epinephrine
Jump start

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20
Q

4 characteristics of HPA axis?

A

Slow response
Lasting
Cortisol
Keep things going

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21
Q

In a stress response how is epinephrine involved? 2 stages

A

The SNS uses epinephrine as neurotransmitter, so there is an initial ‘spritz’. SNS also activates adrenal medulla to dump epi into blood for sustained response.

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22
Q

What are the effects of epinephrine? 4

A

ERROR!

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23
Q

What are the effects of cortisol in the stress response? 2

A

Mobilise energy reserves

Redistribute energy from non-essential processes

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24
Q

Which ANS efferent would stimulate digestion and restorative functions?

A

Parasympathetic

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25
Q

How is the SAM system efficient?

A

EPI dump starts with nerves and then tells adrenal medulla to start using hormones

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26
Q

Are there ill effects from the SAM system? What might be a counter example?

A

No bad effects, BUT persistent epi surges can damage blood vessels

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27
Q

How fast is the SAM system?

A

Very fast - happening before conscious awareness.

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28
Q

what are 3 positive effects of the SAM system on thinking?

A
  1. Improve mood
  2. Encourages creative thinking
  3. Problems feel like challenges
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29
Q

What is released by the adrenal cortex?

A

Cortisol

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30
Q

What is the primary function of the HPA axis? How does this help the stress response?

A

Increase blood glucose -> support extended F or F response

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31
Q

What is the most common physiological measure of stress?

A

Blood cortisol levels

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32
Q

Which cells in the body have cortisol receptors? Why?

A

Almost all cells; because its an important steroid hormone involved in multiple body processes

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33
Q

What is the diurnal variation of cortisol?

A

Large peak in early morning which fades rapidly to midday and is low & sustained for the rest of day

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34
Q

What are body processes which use cortisol? 3

A
  1. Stress
  2. Sleep/wake cycle
  3. Low blood sugar
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35
Q

What is Addison’s disease?

A

Someone who cant respond quickly to low blood sugar, because adrenal glands don’t produce enough cortisol

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36
Q

What are the metabolic effects of cortisol? 3

A
  1. Release glucose stores in muscle/liver
  2. Modified fat and protein metabolism
  3. Gluconeogenesis
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37
Q

What are two ways cortisol can alter the immune system?

A
  1. Reduce inflammation

2. Immune suppression (from hyperactivity)

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38
Q

What are 3 systems which can be suppressed by cortisol?

A

Digestive, reproductive, growth processes

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39
Q

What is a potential problem with the negative feedback control of cortisol?

A

Because cortisol turns itself down, damage due to excessive cortisol can break the control, leading to chronic stress problems (harder to turn HPA off)

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40
Q

What are the first three areas to receive damage from cortisol?

A

Hippocampus, hypothalamus, pituitary

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41
Q

What are three determinants of HPA activity?

A
  • genetic factors
  • early-life environment
  • current life stress
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42
Q

Are there differences in stress response due to sex or age?

A

Yes

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43
Q

How much of the variance in basal glucocorticoids is accounted for by heritability?

A

62% - more than half.

44
Q

What counts as “early-life environment”? 2

A

Pre and posts-natal influences

45
Q

Childhood trauma is associated with modified ____? 2. what is the mechanism for this?

A

HPA axis responsively AND adult offspring (epigenetics)

46
Q

What happens to rats that receive poor maternal care? 2

A

They show deficits in hippocampus receptors and impaired shut off of HPA response.

47
Q

What promotes life long resilience to stress? And how?

A

Mild to moderate early life stressors. Enhanced HPA regulation (they can deal with cortisol system better)

48
Q

How does chronic stress affect normal circadian rhythm of cortisol release?

A

Increased baseline

49
Q

How does current life stress affect HPA and what are 2 results of this?

A

Make HPA axis more sensitive (more release); 1. Higher cortisol exposure, 2. Greater burden after each stress episode

50
Q

What was found in the Romanian orphan study? 2

A
  1. Blunted SAM & HPA responses to lab stressors

2. Normal response if removed from orphanage before 2 years (critical period for effects)

51
Q

chronic stress disorders that can result from mobilising energy stores? 4

A

Metabolic dysfunction, II diabetes, inefficient energy use, muscle wasting

52
Q

Chronic stress disorders from increased blood supply?

A

Stress hypertension, atherosclerosis, heart disease

53
Q

Chronic stress disorders from enhanced cognition?

A

Memory loss, disconnection of neural networks, reduced neurogenesis, selective neurodegeneration

54
Q

Chronic stress disorders from enhanced immunity, reduced inflammation?

A

Increased risk of some infectious diseases

55
Q

Is there an increased rick of cancer due to chronic stress?

A

Probably not

56
Q

What is the mechanism which relates chronic stress and anxiety?

A

Long term enhanced cognition (due to chronic stress response) leads to amygdala expansion

57
Q

What mechanism relates chronic stress with depression?

A

Long term stress activation leads to depletion of dopamine, which causes anhedonia

58
Q

What are the chronic stress disorders associated with the adaptive suppression of growth?

A

Osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, psychogenic dwarfism

59
Q

Chronic disorders due to suppression of digestion?

A

Increased risk of ulcers, increased fat deposition

60
Q

Chronic disorders due to suppression of reproduction in stress response?

A

Females - irregular or loss of cycles, failure of implantation
Males - decreased testosterone, erectile dysfunction
Everyone - loss of libido

61
Q

What causes psychosocial short stature? And what is it? Can it be reversed? 2

A

Extreme stress and emotional deprivation in childhood causes a failure to grow despite adequate nutrition. Yes the child will catch up after leaving negative environment, but only within a critical period.

62
Q

Where does cortisol result in structural remodelling? 3 is it reversible?

A

Hippocampus, amygdala, PFC. yes but more difficult with age.

63
Q

How does the hippocampus aid the stress response? How does this function integrate with the Amygdala?

A

Stores contextual info about circumstances where stress response was previously activated, it contributes to the threat appraisal in amygdala.

64
Q

What happens to stress response if there is damage to HC (from cortisol)?

A

Loss of regulation, HC is part of system that tells HT to turn off cortisol

65
Q

What happens to the amygdala under chronic stress? How? 2. What does this mean?

A

It grows. 1. Increase plasticity and 2. expansion of dendritic processes. Bias towards being more readily afraid and less able to detect safety (anxiety disorder)

66
Q

What area of the brain mediates defensive behaviours and physiological responses to danger?

A

The amygdala

67
Q

Which area provides top-down control of emotional responses and can restrain the amygdala?

A

PFC

68
Q

what happens to medial PFC due chronic stress? [3]

A

Cortisol causes dendritic shrinking, resulting in impaired cognitive flexibility.

69
Q

What happens in the orbitofrontal cortex in chronic stress? [3] (what is the OFC involved in?)

A

Cortisol causes dendritic expansion, resulting in increased vigilance to possible new stressors (salience of reward or punishment)

70
Q

What does cortisol damage to PFC result in?

A

Impaired amygdala restraint during stress.

71
Q

How does the PSNS dampen the stress response? 2pathways

A

Direct inner action of organs (acetylcholine)

Hormones sent to adrenal vortices which suppress cortisol

72
Q

Is there a bias in SNS vs PSNS?

A

Yes more biased towards being stress (adaptive). Can require conscious effort to initiate relaxation response

73
Q

How can relaxation response be triggered?

A

Deep abdominal breathing, focus on word, visualisation, yoga etc

74
Q

Why is amygdala threat appraisal negatively biased?

A

Missing a real threat is worse than misinterpreting something non-threatening

75
Q

What are differences in PFC inhibition of amygdala for moderate vs intense stress?

A

Moderate - regulation possible

Intense - restraint is suppressed, not as effective (hijacking)

76
Q

How can cognitive reinterpretation work? 2

A

Deciding how to feel about the physiological response which is already kick started:
Threatening or exciting?
Overwhelming or challenging?

77
Q

What are the limits of cognitive reinterpretations?

A

Have to deal with the current situation not ignore it, (try to go from fear to calm)

78
Q

What hormone is associated with social affiliation? What can it do for stress?

A

Oxcytosin. It can reduce cortisol and suppress HPA axis

79
Q

What characterises a good social bond?

A

Supportiveness. Unsupportive contacts can increase stress

80
Q

What is the danger of being socially isolated? [4]

A

Isolation is stressful, and this is difficult to manage without support. Unmanaged support becomes chronic which impairs systems that deal with stress, leading to downwards cycle.

81
Q

What is the risk of mortality for social isolation?

A

Increases by 26%

82
Q

Does the amygdala receive sensory input that is direct or indirect?

A

Both, from thalami nuclei or from cortical areas

83
Q

Why does the amygdala have HC inputs?

A

Help mediate learning about context of fear related events

84
Q

What type of fear context is the HC most sensitive to?

A

Location

85
Q

What is mediated by the PAG, in amygdala based fear circuitry?

A

Defensive or behavioural responses

86
Q

how does the amygdala activate physiological changes in response to fear?

A

Output to hypothalamus for SAM/HPA responses

87
Q

What cognitive functions does the amygdala assist with? 4

A

Attention, perception, memory, decision making

88
Q

How is anxiety different to fear?

A

It is longer lasting and focuses on preparedness.

89
Q

How is anxiety adaptive?

A

Motivates effective coping behaviours

90
Q

When is anxiety a disorder? 2

A

If it persists or is out of proportion to the threat

91
Q

What is GAD? 3

A

Stress and anxiety in absence of obvious cause
Chronic worry and vigilance not warranted by situation
Heightened SNS arousal and motor tensions

92
Q

What is phobic anxiety disorder?

A

Intense excessive feat triggered by specific object/situation

93
Q

What is panic anxiety disorder?

A

Rapid onset of extreme fear and severe stress symptoms

94
Q

Which class of anxiety disorder do you find somatic symptoms alongside intense fear?

A

In a panic attack, panic

95
Q

Can someone with OCD resist their compulsive behaviour?

A

Resisting lead as to high anxiety. These behaviour are intended to neutralise negative thoughts.

96
Q

What is PTSD?

A

Persistent pattern of distress following an extreme stress event.

97
Q

In which class of anxiety disorders would you find hyperarousal or an exaggerated startle response?

A

PTSD

98
Q

How can PTSD affect the everyday experience of emotions?

A

Numbness to ordinary stimuli

99
Q

Which two areas are implicated in anxiety from functional imaging studies?

A

Amygdala and ACC

100
Q

What features can distinguish normal sadness from depression? 4

A

Severity
Pervasiveness
Duration
Associated symptoms

101
Q

What is monoamine theory in depression?

A

Depression is caused by underactivity at serotonergic and noradrenergic synapses

102
Q

What evidence supports the monoamine theory of depression? 2

A 
Treatment drugs are agonists of serotonin or norepinephrine
 Monoamine antagonist (reserpine) cause depression
103
Q

What causes what, depression and anxiety?

A

Who knows

104
Q

What is an effect of antidepressants on the brain?

A

Neurogenesis

105
Q

What is a genetic stress model?

A

genetic susceptibility plus early stress sensitises the system to overreact to mild stressors

PSYC2020 quiz 2 (4 decks)

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