Stress, arousal and circadian rhythms Flashcards
how can someones self esteem effect their stress levels
people with low self esteem have high stress levels
what is the most stress inducing scenario a person can be in and who founded it
Dickerson & Kemeny 2004, motivated performance + uncontrollability + social evaluation threat
what is the trier social stress test
it is when a participant is placed in front of 3 professionals, the participant has to present a topic that the 3 professionals are experienced in. The room is full of cameras and microphones. The participant has a period of time to create a presentation on the subject. The 3 professionals must not show any emotion at all. The participants then need to present their presentation. The participant must also do an arithmetic test.
what is said to be the most stressful part of the trier social stress test
the anticipatory period
where is cortisol typically found
the hippocampus & prefrontal cortex
what does the amygdala do when we’re stressed
it hijacks the brain
what is emphasised when the amygdala hijacks the brain during stress
you perceive threat more, you have more anxiety, we have nightmares
what part of the brain’s is most effected when someone suffers from chronic and acute stress
the hippocampus and frontal cortex
what kind of memories does the hippocampus store and create
episodic memories
how does being stressed effect your ability to create new memories
it helps create and save memories
what is flashbulb memories
they’re very powerful and strong memories
does stress make you focus on one thing
yes
why is it helpful that stress effects our creation of memories
in a stressful situation, we’re more likely to remember a lot of it, this is a survival technique, if we remember all parts of a stressful situation, we’re going to refer back to that when we’re put into a similar stressful situation so we don’t make the same mistakes
when we’re stressed, does it make it harder or easier to recall memories
harder
what are the effects of having blunt cortisol stress reactivity
lower cognitive ability, more rapid cognitive decline, poor lung functions
what are the effects of having exaggerated cortisol stress reactivity
hypertension, coronary artery calcification (after 3 years)
is it better to have a small amount of cortisol or a larger amount
neither, you need to have a good balance because both cause bad health issues
what area of the brain structure is most effected by stresss
the hippocampus
what mental health disorder causes the structure of the hippocampus to change
depression
what is hypothesis
the theory that memories are impaired so we are unable to recall them so we don’t cause ourselves stress over it
how are women’s cortisol levels who suffer with depression and or anxiety
blunted
how are mens cortisol levels who suffer with depression and or anxiety
enhanced
what mental health condition in both men and women blunts cortisol levels
schizophrenia
what is the circadian rhythm
the biological rhythm
what things does the circadian rhythm control
wake/sleep, frequency of eating & drinking, body temperature, secretion of certain hormones, volume of urine, sensitivity to certain drugs, balance of immune system
what is happening in you circadian rhythm in the early morning
deep sleep, body temp trough, melatonin levels decrease, cortisol levels increase,
when is cortisol at its peak in your circadian rhythm
when you’re waking up in the morning
what is happening in you circadian rhythm in the early afternoon
high alertness, no melatonin, cortisol levels gradually decreasing
what is happening in you circadian rhythm in the evening
peak muscle strength, body temp at peak, melatonin levels are increasing, cortisol trough
what is the cycle of alertness in the circadian rhythm
increases during the day and then decreases towards the end
what is the cycle of your body temp in the circadian rhythm
Boyd temp increases throughout the day and then decreases by the end
what is the cycle of melatonin in the circadian rhythm
non-existent all day till late afternoon
what is the cycle of cortisol in the circadian rhythm
it peaks at the start of the day and decreases throughout
what stimuli regulates the circadian rhythm
sun light
how does the circadian rhythm explain jet lag
when e go to a different country and the sun shines at differentiate compared to back home, our body clock is still set to our time zone
what is zeitgeber
it is when you reset the biological rhythm
what are some example of zeitgeber
eating at a different time, being out with friends late, noise, temperature
what re the two main parts of the hypothalamus that help regulate the circadian rhythm
the paraventricular nucleus and the suprachiasmatic nucleus
what does the paraventricular nucleus do
it helps rest the circadian rhythm, notifies the suprachiasmatic nucleus
what does the suprachiasmatic nucleus do
it tells the brain what to do in regards to the circadian rhythm, it keeps everything synchronised
what pathways does the suprachiasmatic nucleus use to do its job around the brain
neuronal pathways and secreted neuromodulators
what is the circadian system model
light –> input (the input pathway that resets the clock) –> oscillator –> output (the output pathway that translates the oscillator into behavioural and physiological rhythms)
where is the suprachiasmatic nucleus placed in the brain
it id paved between the visual and the neuroendocrine pathways
what is the retinochypothalamic pathway
it is a pathway that carries epochal cells to detect light and send the info to the suprachiasmatic nucleus
what chemical mediates the special photoreceptors in our eyes that detect light for the circadian rhythm
melanospin
what is the relationship between the SCN and PN
the SCN influences the PN for HPA access
what would a healthy sleep patterns profile look like
a steep profile
what is the cortisol awakening response
it is the rapid increase of cortisol when someone wakes up
how long does the cortisol awakening response last
30-40 minutes
how does age effect the cortisol awakening response
it decreases with age
is cortisol light sensitive
yes
how is CAR related to seasonal effective disorder
it effects it in the winter and not summer
what factors impact CAR
light, waking times, prior day experiences, anticipation of challenge, ovulation, alcohol consumption
how is CAR effected by waking times
the earlier you wake up the more CAR
how does anticipation of challenge effect CAR
it increases it
how does prior day experiences effect CAR
a good day increases your morning CAR
what is the boost theory for CAR
CAR is made for survival so we are ready in the morning
how does the days of the week effect CAR
on weekdays you have more CAR
how is CAR distributed
through the SCN
what is the process of the CAR being produced
light–>retina–>SCN–>PV-CRH->Anterior pituitary-ACTH->adrenal cortex –>cortisol secretion
