the psychobiology of stress- lecture 7

Question 1

mechanisms that allow stress inside the body (pathways)

Answer 1

hypothalamus - signals the sympathetic nervous system- then to the medulla in the adrenal gland

Question 2

roles of adrenaline

Answer 2

increased heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, perspiration, blood flow to muscles/organs

allows for fight or flight response

Question 3

roles of cortisol

Answer 3

increase of blood sugar levels, release of fat stores (increasing suply of energy for body and brain), cognitive function (e.g. increased sensory awareness, learning and memory), redirection of resources from long term process to immediate threat)

in the short term- maintenance of fight-flight response

Question 4

longer term roles of cortisol

Answer 4

switches off long term processes so resources can be directed immediate threat

long term threat- immune system, growth and repair, digestion, reproduction, regulation of sleep patterns

Question 5

stress responses essential in short term

Answer 5

• extremely efficient system forcoping with acute single stressors- mobilisation of resurces to deal with immediate threat, temporary increases in mental and physical abilities, redirection of resources from long term processes to threat

BUT

• stressors are rarely physical
• repeated acute stressors
• enduring chronic stressors
• stress responses triggered by just thinking about an event

this is called abnormal stress responding - repeated/chronic endring stress leads to maldaptive responding

Question 6

harmful long term processes

Answer 6

1. immune system- increased risk of ill health
2. growth and repair- inability to heal wounds/ cell production
3. digestion- increased risk of digestive disorders
4. reproduction- fertility problems
5. regulation of sleep patterns- development of sleep disorders
6. cognition- memory and mood disorders

Question 7

the regulatory role of cortisol

Answer 7

diurnal (wake to sleep) cortisol profile

cortisol awakening response- boost of cortisol for 30-45 mins when we wake up

evening nadir- lowest point of cortisol of the day when we are trying to sleep

deviations from this normal response is associated with poor health conditions

Question 8

measuring adrenaline and noradrenaline

Answer 8

measure the effects of adrenaline and noradrenaline through heart rate and blood pressure

Question 9

observing and activating pathways

Answer 9

in order to assess the mechanisms by which stress can lead to states of ill-health it is necessary to observe/test people while they are expecting stress

1. examples of contorlled/lab stressors- public speaking tasks, dental treatment, injections, co2 inhalation, cold pressor, mirrror-tracing, stroop task, watching gore, multitasking

Question 10

prolems with some lab stressors

Answer 10

‘acute/lab stressors should provide a ‘system snapshot’ of how

1. outside the lab (real world stressors usually chronic/enduring stress)- high stress jobs, excessive lifestyle, major life events, stressful living conditions

Question 11

combining methods- lab and life stressors

Answer 11

using people who take mdma and ecstsacy- many of problems reported by ecstasy users are also re;ated to chronically elevated levels of cortisol- maybe elevated levels are responsible for the problems experienced by ecstasy users