BS I Lesson 8: Emotions: Limbic System

Secondary Appraisal

1. Harm -What damage has been caused so far? 2. Threat -What future damage could be caused? 3. Challenge -How can the situation be overcome? eg. Rabbit hasn't been bit yet but realizes the puppy might chomp on its leg. So it runs like the dickens to get back to its safe place.

What are the 4 theories of emotion?

> James-Lange Theory > Cannon-Bard Theory > Two-Factor Theory > Opponent-Process Theory

Addiction

A behavior that the sufferer feels compelled to perform, usually interfering with daily functioning. Addiction often occurs when drug is used as a coping mechanism for stress. Addiction is compounded by impaired frontal cortex by stress

Cortisol

A glucocorticoid hormone released by adrenal cortex that suppresses immune system and redistribute glucose metabolism

Oxytocin

A hormone involved in the tend and befriend response that helps with social bonding, pair bonding, and child birth.

Glucagon

A hormone that promotes the conversion of glycogen to glucose. It is released during the fight or flight response (among other times).

Depression

A mood disorder characterized by long periods of deep sadness and loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities. This can caused by chronic stress. Characterized by anhedonia

Limbic System

A network in the brain that sits on top of the brain stem and is involved in processing emotions, behavior, and long-term memory. Mnemonic: Hippo with a Hat - see picture

Hypothalamus

A part of the limbic system that regulates ANS (fight or flight, rest and digest response) by controlling the endocrine system. By controlling the nts that affect mood and arousal, hypothalamus largely dictates emotions. Mnemonic: Tries to maintain homeostasis by working with pituitary gland. You MUst obey - HypothalamUS

Tend and Befriend

A response under stress where people (especially women) often provide support to others (tend) and seek support from others (befriend) -oxytocin

Aldosterone

A steroid hormone synthesized and released by the adrenal cortex that controls BP through retention of sodium and water

Coronary Artery Disease

A type of vascular disease in which the coronary artery gets plugged up by plaque. This causes the heart to not get the nutrients it needs and can cause a heart attack.

Anterior Cingulate

AC makes us feel good. A malfunctioning AC would make us hot and annoyed. Portion of the frontal cortex that is affected by depression and stops responding to serotonin. Without good serotonin response, we perceive more stressors --> learned helplessness

Cognitive flexibility

Ability to take a step back and figure out what is stressing us out. Often wisdom is the limiting reagent here.

Psychopaths & amygdalas

Abnormally small and malfunctioning amygdala - don't feel fear

Amygdala

Aggression center in the limbic system; processes emotions and interprets facial expressions If you stimulate the amygdala, it can stimulate emotions of anger/violence and fear/anxiety. If you destroy the amygdala, it can cause a mellowing effect Connection: People with anxiety are given benzos that function pharmacologically similar to alcohol. When people consume too much alcohol, you see disinhibited behavior, hyperorality, hyper sexuality.

appraisal focused coping

Aimed at changing one's interpretation of stressful events

Weakness of Schachter-Singer Theory

Also doesn't explain why smiling increases feelings of happiness

Dorsal prefrontal cortex

Associated with attention and cognition

Kluver-Bucy Syndrome

Bilateral destruction of amygdala (both sides) that can result in... Hyperorality -put things in mouth a lot Hypersexuality Disinhibited behavior -act compulsively, ignore social functions, don't consider the risks of your behavior Mnemonic: KLUVER-Bucy - lover = hypersexual, hyperoral, out of control.

Heart Attack

Blockage of a coronary artery that cuts off part of the heart's supply of oxygen

Behavioral Reactions to Emotions

Body language and facial expressions smiling, clapping hands in delight = warm and happy frown, slumping shoulders, looking down = sad

The moment after a person receives a cancer diagnosis, she experiences an immediate spike in her stress levels. She appraises the situation as dangerous and her body reacts accordingly. Which of the following body responses is associated with sympathetic nervous system activation and could be a physiological reaction she experiences? A. Decreased cortisol B. Constriction of vessels in skeletal muscle tissue C. Dilation of vessels in skeletal muscle tissue D. Decreased heart rate

C. Dilation of vessels in skeletal muscle tissue During fight or flight, the body dilates blood vessels to increase blood flow to organs such as the lungs and skeletal muscle. Other blood vessels, such as those to the intestines, are constricted.

Emotionally focused strategies

Center on managing emotions that accompany stress; distancing oneself from or avoiding the issue, and using self control to deal with the stress

Why are emotions universal?

Charles Darwin hypothesized that expressing emotion is innate and it helps us act in ways that better our chances of survival. This makes sense...think of newborn babies or blind people! They still have the same expressions!

Lazarus Theory of Emotion

Consciously labeling an emotion triggers simultaneous emotion and physiologic response Lazarus rising from the dead -> "Is this really happening?" -> Fear and freaking out at same time.

Hypertension

Damagingly high BP. In response to increased BP during chronic stress, blood vessels distend and build up more muscle and become rigid. This increased muscle and rigidity requires "more force from the pump" to move blood and leads to even higher BP. Can lead to vascular disease

Daily Hassle Stressor

Day to day annoyances that can add up and take a huge toll on you. Considered the most significant form of stress eg. traffic, loud neighbors, arguing with spouse, computer freezing, dog poop on carpets, racism for minorities

Stressor

Element or condition that leads to a stress response.

Perceived control

Look for areas in your life where you can gain control back (be the king of your own castle)

Managing stress

Mitigating effects of stress through exercise, meditation, faith, and cognitive flexibility

Vascular disease

Disease of the blood vessels. When blood slams against our bvs at high pressure, our veins and arteries become damaged, which leads to inflammation, plaque buildup, and narrowing of the vessels. Plaque is attracted to fat and cholesterol --> Coronary Artery Disease

Universal Emotions

Feelings experienced by all people and have consistent facial expressions across cultures Paul Ekman's - 7 emotions: Happiness, Sadness, Surprise, Contempt, Fear, Disgust, Anger

Sympathetic Nervous System

Fight or flight division of ANS Pupils dilate - lets more light in Decreased Salivation - dry mouth when nervous giving a presentation Increased respiratory rate Increased HR - Increased Oxygen and ability to expel CO2 Increase peripheral vasoconstriction Increased glucose release - for more energy Adrenal glands - release epinephrine (adrenaline) Digestion shuts off Immune system shuts off Ovulation shuts off *Think of someone running from a big lion

Where are the two areas in the brain with the most glucocorticoid receptors?

Frontal lobe and hippocampus - get lit up in times of stress when you're stressed you can't think clearly and can't remember things We see damage and atrophy of these areas due to chronic stress. This damage can lead to behavioral effects as well.

How is reproduction impacted by overstress?

Gets shut down by acute fight or flight response. Chronic stress damages our reproductive capacity. Females: LH, FSH, estrogen, and progesterone can become inhibited. Males: Reduction in testosterone, erectile dysfunction (less blood flows to penis)

Ambient Stressors

Global stressors that are integrated into the environment; they can negatively impact us without us being conscious of them eg. pollution, noise, crowding, mildew and mold

Prolonged states of stress can affect what?

Heart -> Hypertension, vascular disease, coronary artery disease, heart attack Metabolism -> High blood sugar, diabetes Reproduction Immune system -> Autoimmune disorders, decreased wound healing, susceptibility to illness Psychological changes -> depression, anger, anxiety, addiction

Hippocampus controls _____ memory while amygdala controls ______ memory

Hippocampus controls explicit memory - memory of experiencing the emotion: remembering you were happy at college grad Amygdala controls implicit memory - emotional memory

Catecholamines

Hormones released by adrenal gland that includes epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine Gotta catch EM all - pokemon!! You gotta run to catch em!

Stress Reaction

How a person copes with a threatening event ...my hair falling out....

Anhedonia

Inability to feel pleasure AnHEADDOWNIA malfunctioning anterior cingulate contributes to this

How is immune function impacted by overstress?

Inflammation leads to overuse of the immune system. If prolonged, body stops activating immune system making us more susceptible to illness. -40% slower healing rate of puncture wounds to grad students before exam compared to over the summer eg. arthritis, hashimotos

Primary appraisal

Initial evaluation of event as 1. Stressful (-) 2. Benign/positive (+) 3. Irrelevant - eg. Rabbit chased by puppy uses primary appraisal to sense it as a stressful event after which it moves into secondary appraisal

Adrenal Medulla

Inner portion of adrenal gland that releases epi and norepinephrine when activated by sympathetic NS.

Which theory posits that individuals who cannot mount a sympathetic response, like patients with spinal cord injuries, should show decreased levels of emotion?

James Lange theory -This is false. Spinal cord injury subjects still have same level of emotion

Appraisal

Lazarus; Our emotion or behavioral response arises from our assessment of events, not from the actual events themselves

Social readjustment rating scale

Measures stress level in "life change units"

Cognitive Reactions to Emotion

Mental assessments that involve appraising what is happening, expectation about the situation, and general thoughts eg. Surprise party and you hate surprises. You would be thinking, "What is going on? I don't like this. This is gonna be terrible!" Differ from person to person and culture to culture

Dysthymia

Mild depression

Right hemisphere -Emotions

Negative emotions Isolative Timid, fearful, avoidant and depressed I don't like math, which occurs in RH, so therefore RH = negative emotions

Fight or Flight response is controlled by

Nervous system -Sympathetic and parasympathetic & endocrine system - adrenal glands

Learned helplessness

Overwhelming sense that a goal cannot be accomplished. You learn that you don't have control. Loss of ability to identify and use coping mechanisms due to repeated failure of coping with stress in the past.

Prefrontal Cortex

Part of frontal lobe that distinguishes humans and is responsible for attention, planning, decision making, and managing how you behave. eg. Prefrontal Cortex helps you behave differently in a job interview and wild sporting event. It also tells you to "walk away" from situations when anger strikes.

Alarm Phase

Phase 1 of GAS -Initial reaction to stressor. Body amps up for the fight or flight response. Heart starts racing and cortisol and epinephrine spike Hypothalamus 1. Releases CRH -> Pituitary -> ACTH -> Adrenal glands -> Cortisol -> steady supply of blood sugar 2. Adrenal medulla -> epi & norepi -> sympathetic nervous system

Resistance Phase

Phase 2 of GAS - Actively coping with the stressor and continuous release of hormones. Temp, HR, and RR are elevated

Exhaustion

Phase 3 of GAS - After prolonged stress and no recovery, body's coping reserves run out and result in fatigue, decreased tolerance to stress, dampened immunity

Cannon-Bard Theory of Emotion

Physiologic response and emotions occur simultaneously Mnemonic: Cannon and boat both shake when it goes off.

James-Lange Theory

Physiologic response triggers emotion

Eustress

Positive conditions like graduating, getting married, or buying a house --> still lead to stress.

Left hemisphere - Emotions

Positive emotions Sociable More interested, joyful, enthusiastic about things Creativity = positive

Coping with stress

Reducing personal problems or conflicts; Success in this is related to the amount of perceived control, optimism, and social support.

between-subjects experiment

Research design in which each subject experiences only one of the conditions in the experiment

Ventral prefrontal cortex

Responsible for experiencing emotion

Parasympathetic Nervous System

Rest and digest division of ANS Pupils constrict Increased salivation Decreased RR and HR Increased glucose storage Decreased Adrenaline Increased digestion *Me after I eat a huge dinner

Which sense is not sent to the thalamus to be relayed and filtered?

Smell

Physiological Reactions to Emotion

Stimulated by the ANS; includes changes in HR, RR, BP, and temp.

Emotional memory

Storage of emotion associated with an event. Part of implicit memory controlled by amygdala.

Emotion

Temporary subjective experiences that cause physiological, cognitive, and behavior reactions. Can be positive or negative, vary in intensity, and are involuntary

How does stress cause anger?

Type A personalities are prone to hostility and anger; "fight" response is accompanied with anger.

Catastrophe stressor

Unpredictable large-scale events that everyone appraises as threatening eg. war, floods, tornado Hurricane Katrina --> tripled suicide rate in New Orleans

Ventomedial Prefrontal Cortex

Vent = emotions, Medial = mediator between amygdala and prefrontal cortex Controls emotional responses from the amygdala in order to make decisions.

Thoughts/Appraisal

We must perceive an event as somehow important in order to experience emotion; could be harmful or beneficial to us.

James-Lange Theory - weaknesses?

You can experience arousal without experiencing emotion (heart racing after a long run) Many different emotions have same physiologic markers - eg. heart racing accompanies fear and excitement and nervousness Physiologic response system is to slow to produce emotions that happen almost instantly

Fight or Flight is mediated by

acetylcholine - causes Sympathetic NS to release epinephrine

Schachter-Singer Theory of Emotion

aka cognitive arousal theory Stimulus -> Physiologic response -> cognitive response -> Emotion. We can't feel emotion until we're able to consciously label this emotion Singers have a stage. This theory has an extra stage of cognitive response before feeling fear.

avoidance focused coping

attempt to disengage mentally or even physically from threatening or damaging situations

avoidance-avoidance conflict

choices between two negative options

approach-approach conflict

choices between two positive options; least stressful

approach-avoidance conflict

conflict occurring when a person must choose or not choose a goal that has both positive and negative aspects

Problem focused strategies

coping strategies that focus on changing or improving a stressful situation such as reaching out for social support, confronting the issue head on, and creating a systematic plan to overcome and solve it.

Phineas Gage

damaged frontal lobe - iron rod penetrated his skull. After the accident, he became rude, swore a lot, and had inappropriate behavior. Mnemonic: Phineus has a funny forehead = frontal lobe. Gage = gash through frontal lobe.

Stress is classified as causing either

distress or eustress

within-subjects experiment

research design in which each subject experiences every condition of the experiment

Thalamus

sensory relay station in the limbic system that filters and directs senses to appropriate areas in the cortex Control Tower

Significant life change stressor

significant personal life change such as marriage, death of a loved one, losing a job, having a child, moving away to college

glucocorticoids

steroid hormones often involved in stress response (eg. cortisol)

Autonomic Nervous System

the division of the PNS that controls involuntary body functions like digestion, HR, and breathing.\ Autonomic = automatic

Somatic Nervous System

the division of the PNS that controls the body's skeletal muscles

Adrenal cortex

the outer portion of the adrenal glands that secretes glucocorticoids cortisol and aldosterone

Stress

the process by which we perceive and respond to certain events, or stressors, that we appraise as threatening or challenging Reaction to stimulus

Adrenal Gland

Endocrine gland that sits on top of kidneys and secretes catecholamines

Anxiety

Excessive fear or worrying. This can be caused by chronic stress due to an overly-stimulated amygdala. "Flight" response is accompanied with fear. As you perceive stressors, you're working out the amygdala and you perceive more things as fearful, which increases anxiety.

Distress

Experiencing unpleasant stressors

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

Extension of the fight or flight response that uses 3 stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion. Imagine someone stealing a car. The alarm sounds, you screech away in the car and get chased by the cop (resistance) and then eventually the car runs out of gas and you get caught (Exhaustion) Developed by Hans Selye

How does overstress impact metabolism?

Extra blood sugar!!! During fight or flight, our body releases glucagon to make extra energy for body, but if the stress is psychosocial and we're not running for our lives, we don't actually need all of that extra energy. The stress can exacerbate metabolic conditions like diabetes and can also further CV problems.

Cannon-Bard Theory - Weaknesses?

Fails to explain the vagus nerve, which functions as a feedback system and sends information from the peripheral organs back to the CNS Wy does smiling increase feelings of happiness?

Hippocampus

The part of the limbic system that converts STM into LTM. Center of the limbic system Damage to this area causes difficulty forming memories (anterograde amnesia) but LTM still functions. Mnemonic: Helps long term memories set up CAMP