role of the prefrontal cortex and limbic system

Question 1

what is the limbic system

Answer 1

a complex system of nerves and networks in the brain concerned with instinct and mood. it controls the basic emotions (fear, pleasure, anger) and drives (hunger, sex, dominance)

Question 2

what is the role of the pre frontal cortex in aggression

Answer 2

involved in aggression as it links to the amygdala
regulating and controlling behaviour and emotions and damage to it can mean someone can’t control aggressive reactions
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Question 3

what is the reward pathway

Answer 3

cause us to experience a pleasant and rewarding feeling

Question 4

evidence of the prefrontal cortex in aggression

Answer 4

• BECHARA AND VAN DER LINDEN found a link of decision making with the ventromedial cortex. not saying the prefrontal cortex is for aggression but it is about regulating behaviour and emotions
• RAINE wanted to see if violence that came from emotion was different to planned violence. lower left and right prefrontal functioning in emotional offenders. planned offenders had normal functioning though they had high right sub cortical functioning. emotional offenders could not regulate behaviours
• HEINZ reviewed studies looking at alcohol and aggression. findings suggests that early life stress is important as well as genetic variation in genes that relate to serotonin. environment stress and genetic predisposition increase activity in the amygdala and lower activity in the pre frontal cortex

Question 5

what is the role of the limbic system in aggression

Answer 5

includes the hippocampus, amygdala and hypothalamus

• hypothalamus = homeostasis (temp, hunger, blood pressure, pulse and arousal)
• hippocampus = short to long term memory link
• amygdala = aggression (response to fear) integrates internal and external stimuli

Question 6

evidence of the limbic system in aggression

Answer 6

• ANDY AND VELAMATI = stimulated the hypothalamus in cats and found they had aggressive seizures measured by hissing and growling. blocking catecholamine increased aggression whereas doing the opposite limited it.
• DOWNER studied monkeys and found that when one amygdala was removed and the optic nerve was cut, if visual input went to the normal amygdala they reacted normally (aggressive) but if it went to no amygdala they were calm
• HERMANS found that electrical stimulation of the hypothalamus gives aggression
• DEVILLE found the hypothalamus has receptors that interacts with serotonin and vasopressin and determines aggression levels