Stress and NS Flashcards
What is Stress?
a state of physiological and psychological arousal, produced by internal or external stressors that are perceived by the individual as challenging.
Eustress
a positive psychological response to a stressor, as indicated by presence of positive psychological state.
Distress
a negative psychological response to a stressor, as indicated by the pressence of a negative psychological state.
Stressor
a stimulus that causes or produces stress; may be internal or external.
Stress response
involves both the psychological and physiological changes that are experienced when confronted with stress.
Internal Stressors
a stimulus from within a person’s body that prompts the stress response
External Stressors
a stimuli from outside the body, the environment, that prompts the stress response.
Acute Stress
a form of stress characterised by intense psychological and physiological symptoms that are brief in duration
Chronic Stress
a form of distress that endures for several months or longer.
Cortisol
a hormone that is responsible for regulating stress response
- energises body, anti-inflammatory effect, impairs immune system and cognitive performance
GAS Model - Alarm Reaction
occurs when person first becomes aware of the stressor.
GAS Model - Resistance
if stress is not dealt with immediately, organism goes into state of resistance
if stress is dealth with, organism will adapt to stressor, body will return to normal state.
GAS Model - Exhaustion
if stress is not dealt with successfuly, organism enters state of exhaustion, body becomes vulnerale to illness, fatigue, high levels of anxiety
L&F Model of Stress and Coping
proposes that stress involves a transaction between the individual and external environment, stress response depends on individual interpretation (appraisal) of the stressor.
Primary Appraisal
we evaluate or ‘judge’ the significance of the event
Secondary Appraisal
we evaluate our coping options and resources and our options for dealing with the event.
Gut Brain Axis
a network of bidirectional neural pathways that enable communication between bacteria in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and the brain.
Vagus Nerve
responsible for connecting cognitive and emotion regions of brain to intestinal tract, via sensory and motor neurons.
- longest nerve in body, communication between ENS and CNS primarily occur via this nerve.
Microbiota
Gut microbiota (or microbiome) is the highly diverse and dynamic system of almost 100 trillion bacteria and other microorganisms that live in the GI.
Coping Flexibility
the ability to effectively modify or adjust one’s coping strategies according to the demands of different stressful situations
Approach Strategies
coping strategies that directly confront the source of the stress, and reduce or eliminate it
Avoidant Strategies
coping strategies that involve evading or distracting oneself from the source of stress.
Context-Specific Effectiveness
where is a match or ‘good fit’ between the coping strategy that is used and the stressful situation
Nervous System - Functions
- receive information
- process information
- coordinate a response to information
Central Nervous System (CNS)
consists of the
- brain
- spinal cord
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
a network of cells located outside the CNS.
- carries information to the CNS from the body’s muscles, organs and glands
- carries information from the CNS to the body’s muscles, organs and glands.
Somatic NS
controls the voluntary movement of skeletal muscles
SAME - Sensory: Afferent, Motor: Efferent
Autonomic NS
responsible for the communication of information between the central NS and the body’s non-skeletal muscles and internal organs, carrying out basic bodily functions
- digestion, heartbeat
Sympathetic NS
responsible for increasing activity muscles, organs and glands in times of vigorous activity, stress or threat.
- plays a role in flight or fight response.
Parasympathetic NS
responsible for homeostasis, helps maintain the internal bodily environment in a steady state of normal functioning.
- calms body down after arousal.
Enteric NS (ENS)
the ENS is embedded in the walls of the gastrointestinal tract, a section of digestive system that food and liquids travel through.
- determines movement of tracts, regulates gut acid
Conscious Response
a conscious response to sensory stimuli is a reaction that involves awareness. usually a voluntary, ‘intentional’ response.
Unconscious Response
an unconscious response to a sensory stimili is a reaction that does not involve awareness. involuntary, unintentional control.
Spinal Reflex
an iunconscious, automatic response controlled solely by neural circuits in the spinal cord.
Neurotransmitters
chemical substances produced by neurons which carry messages to other neurons in muscles, organs and other tissues.
- must bind to receptor sites of post synaptic (receiving) neurons
Excitatory Effect
consequently stimulate or activate postsynaptic neurons to perform their functions
- glutamate neurotransmitter
Inhibitory Effect
block or prevent post synaptic neuron from firing
- GABA neurotransmitter
Lock and Key Process
each neurotransmitter is chemically distinct in shape, will only bind to receptor site that it fits with.
neutransmitter (‘key’) fits into receptor (‘lock’), action potential continues to be fired.
Neuromodulator
a subclass or neurotransmitters that have an effect on multiple postsynaptic neurons
Dopamine
a neuromodulator that has an important role in voluntary movements, the experience of pleasure, motivation, appetite, reward-based learning and memory
Serotonin
a neuromodulator that can have effects depending on where in the brain it is released, like moods, emotional processing, sleep, appetite and pain perception.
Synaptic Plasticity
the ability of the synapse to change in response to experience, evident in physical changes that take place in synapses.
Sprouting
the creation of new branchs on a neuron to allow it to make new connections with other neurons.
Rerouting
new connections are made between neurons to create alternate neuarl pathways, can be entirely new or to other pathways in the brain.
Pruning
the removal of weak, ineffective or unused snapses
- ‘use it or lose it’
Long-Term Potentiation
long lasting strengthening of synaptic transmission due to repeated co-activation.
- terminal buttons release more glutamate
- growth of dendrites
- more receptor sites
Long Term Depression
long lasting weakening of synaptic transmission due to lack of stimulation or pre/post synaptic neurons or prolonged low stimulation.
