stress and anxiety Flashcards
what are the feelings , stress, anxiety and fear?
survival mechanism by which we can respond to threats, or potential threats.
what is the key brain region involved in fear behaviours and of learnt responses to stressors?
amygdala
Which region of the temporal lobe contains the amygdala?
located within the uncus, on the medial aspect of the temporal lobe
what are the regions divided into from the amygdala which are in the central nervous system?
1.centrolateral
2. centromedial
role of centromedial nucleus ?
controls the outflow of activity to the regions controlling behavioural responses to stressors
Which nucleus is the main region for input and integration of information about stressful situations
Lateral
Which region of the brain is thought to set the thresholds of emotional state? And where is it located?
The insula
situated behind the folds of the lateral fissure and spans the frontal to parietal lobe regions.
cingulate gyrus
strip of cortex lying above the corpus callosum that connects left and right hemisphere.
Activity from the amygdala activates the HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) axis in response to stressors. Can you remember which 2 hormones the adrenal gland produces in response to stress?
1.noradrenaline- from the adrenal medulla.
2.steroid, cortisol-from the adrenal cortex
what do noradrenaline and stored, cortisol act to increase?
metabolism enabling a rapid escape from dangerous situations.
where does the hypothalamic axes HPA start and go to?
hypothalamus progressing to the pituitary then to the adrenal gland
where does the hypothalamic axes HPG start and go to?
hypothalamus progressing to the pituitary then to the testes/ovaries
where does the hypothalamic axes HPT start and go to?
hypothalamus progressing to the pituitary then to the thyroid.
what 4 groups show chronic stress and anxiety have on the body?
1.Affective - altering moods
2.Behavioural
3.Cognitive
4.Physiological
What type of plasticity increases the strength of response to stimuli
long term potentiation-leads to an increase in synaptic strength
why does the amygdala have high levels of plasticity ?
allowing it to change and adapt to new experiences.
what does morphological changes in the principle cells and interneurones leads to?
formation strong associations to the stressor, which will initiate a rapid recall of effective behaviours if the trigger is encountered again
what do interneurones play a key role in ?
controlling fear responses
what neurotransmitters do interneurones use ?
GABA
generalised anxiety disorder
excessive worry or anxiety about a range of subjects or life situations lasting for at least six months
what 4 functions can generalised anxiety disorder ?
1.functioning
2. learning
3.memory
4. sleep.
what are 3 related disorders to Phobic anxiety disorders?
1.Specific phobias
2.Agoraphobia
3.Social phobia
specific phobias
fear of specific things
Agoraphobia
fear of situations where escape is not possible
Social phobia
fear of social situations
Panic disorder
describe recurrent episodes of extreme fear and anxiety (panic attacks) that is unrelated to the situation being experienced; there is no specific trigger to the event occurring.
Obsessive compulsive disorder
includes disorders where patients experience obsessional thought patterns and exhibit ritualistic and compulsive behaviours.
Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
associated with experiencing a significant trauma or known event and are some of the most devastating and debilitating forms of anxiety disorder
what 5 approaches are used to manage anxiety disorders?
1.Conscious Avoidance
2.Relaxation courses
3.Hypnotherapy
4.Creative arts therapies - focussed on healing
5.Eye movement desensitisation and reprogramming (EMDR)
what is EMDR?
uses rhythmic eye movements in combination with talking therapies to reduce the saliency of experiences
what medications are used to control these disorders?
1.antidepressants(increase 5HT or NA levels)
2.benzodiazepines(short term)
3.B blockers
what do activity do benzodiazepines dampen?
anxiolytic/hypnotic group which dampen down hyperactivity via increasing GABA activity - they are positive allosteric modulators) to modulate activity levels and increase positive feelings
what activity do β-blockers dampen down?
reduce the symptoms, by dampening down activity in the autonomic nervous system.
