Psychobiology of Emotion Flashcards
Define Emotion
Emotions are transient events, produced in response to external or internal events of significance to the individual, characterised by attention to the evoking stimulus & changes in physiological arousal, motor behaviour & feelings and engender a biasing of behaviour
- physiological response
- readiness to act in a specific way
- feelings
What is the function of emotion?
- Regulation,
- Protection: defensive, immune
- Communication: social
- Attachment & affiliation
- Reinforcement, learning, memory
Explain James-Lange theory of Emotion
- Based on Damasio-somatic markers in the brain
- Arousal (snake) –> physical response (heart pounding) –> emotion (fear)
Explain the Cannon-Bard theory of emotion
- Arousal either leads to a physical response and an emotional response
- not that the physical response proceeds the emotional response as the James-Lange theory would suggest
Explain the Dimensional model of emotion
- it is a scale based on the balance between arousal bs valence and pleasant vs. unpleasant
Explain the Schachter-Singer theory of emotion
- the stimulus simultaneously creates a physiological and emotional response
- however, the physiological response also contributes to the emotional response
What is Lisa Feldmans Barrets theory of emotion?
- the stimulus is first processed/ appraised before the physiological and emotional responses are experienced
What are the Neurmodulatory systems involved in emotion?
- overview of the homeostatic pathway
- 5-HT (Serotonin)
- NA
- ACh
- DA
Explain the role of the Hypothalamus in emotion
- forms connections to neuroendocrine autonomic and cortices
- plays a role in motivation reward and homeostasis
The Ventral Straitum in emotions
- the Nucleus accumbens (NAcc) is a key player in reward prediction error
- mesolimbic DA system VTA s> NA
What structures of the Limbic System are involved in Emotion
- the Amygdala, Orbitofrontal Cortex, Anterior cingulate cortex, Insula
- build a system that creates emotion
- the neuromodulators are: NA, ACh, 5-HT, DA
What is the role of the Amygdala in emotion?
- receives sensory information from the sensory cortex and the sensory thalamus
- process information and creates a bodily arousal response
What is the role of the Insula and emotions?
- provides the viscerosensory cortex a basis for interceptive feeling states
- the anterior insula cortex supports the integration of internal and external information
- provides a conscious access to internal states
- it stimulates feelings of disgust and anxiety (and empathy)
What is the role fo the Ventromedial prefrontal cortex and the orbitofrontal cortex (VPC, OFC)
- provides negative feedback on emotion, preservative cognition
- modulates disappointment and regret
What is the role of the Anterior cingulate in emotion?
- It is part of the visceromotor cortex implicated in
- stress, emotional arousal and cognitive control
- depression
How is facial expression understood?
- FACS System: Facial Action Coding System
- the amygdala and the insula are activated
How do physiological states correlate to emotion/ feelings states- Bodily expression
What is Depression?
- Persistent sadness or low mood
- Loss of interests or pleasure
- Fatigue or low energy
- symptoms most days, most of the time, at least 2 wks
–disturbed sleep –poor concentration or indecisiveness –low self-confidence –poor or increased appetite –suicidal thoughts or acts –agitation or slowing of movements –guilt or self-blame
What are examples of Anxiety?
- PTSD
- Panic/ Specific Phobia
- Generalised Anxiety
- Social anxiety disorder
- OCD
What is Bipolar Disorder?
- episodes of depression & elation
- Hypomania associated with impulsivity, sleep disturbance, increased energy, grandiosity, hypersexuality, irritability, pressure of speech
- Mania if psychotic symptoms present: delusions, hallucinations
What is Autism?
- the early onset of difficulties in social interaction and communication together with restricted and repetitive behaviours and interests
- Clinical features include
- inability to relate and hold the gaze
- speech and language disorders
- impaired non-verbal communication
- resistance to change
- odd behaviours and mannerisms
- seizures
- emotional lability, overactivity, poor concentration
What are sickness behaviours?
a whole-organism response to infection or injury
- Anorexia, nausea, apathy, anhedonia,
- low mood, fatigue, social withdrawal,
- anxiety, irritability, poor concentration,
- memory impairment, psychomotor slowing
