The Corticolimbic Circuit: Anatomy Flashcards

1
Q

two main functions of the corticolimbic circuit?

A

reaction and recognition

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

input to amygdala

A
  1. thalamus
  2. sensory cortices (which receive information from the thalamus)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

what kind of information does the thalamus provide to the amygdala?

A

low-resolution sensory information

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

what kind of information do the sensory cortices provide to the amygdala?

A

high-resolution sensory information

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

output of amygdala

A

hypothalamus
brainstem
substantia innominata
insula
hippocampal formation
PFC

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

general amygdala info

A

bilateral in structure and function
deep subcortical structure
13 different amygdala nuclei

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

parts of amygdala

A

(input) –> BLA –> ICMs –> CeA –> (output)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Thalamus in relation to amgydala

A

input from the world & sends information to the amygdala BLA

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

parts of thalamus

A

ventral posterior (touch/ taste)
medial geniculate nucleus (hear)
lateral geniculate and pulvinar (vision)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

what about smell and the thalamus?

A

smell is separate, it doesn’t go through the thalamus but straight from olfactory bulb to BLA

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

visual information from the thalamus

A

magnocellular layers of the pulvinar get information from the rods (dorsal pathway) –> “where”
cones (ventral stream) are for the sensory cortex –> “what”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

high vs. low road

A

low road: faster processing, but more crude, motive movement
high road: what/ where
* better that low road is faster bc its more adaptive (more cautious)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

example of high vs. low road

A

if walking on trail and see something long in the distance, may initially think its a snake and act accordingly, but quickly realize its a stick (but if it was a snake, you would have been safe)
better to look like a fool nc its a stick than risk getting bit by a copperhead

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

white matter pathways & recognition speed

A

more white matter pathways between the pulvinar and amygdala increases the speed in recognizing something as a threat or not a threat

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

hypothalamus and amygdala

A

output (HPA stress response axis)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

HPA access stress response

A
  1. central nucleus of amygdala
  2. PVN of hypothalamus
  3. anterior lobe of pituitary
  4. ACTH
  5. adrenal gland
  6. (which stimulates response of hormone cortisol to bloodstream)
    —–> which goes back and influences PVN again
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

stress response implications

A
  • more glucose production in the liver
  • more blood flow
  • greater vasoconstriction (less bleeding)
  • immune suppression
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

chronic stress

A

bad bc immune suppression normal stress response, can be really damaging

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

how to minimize stress output?

A

interesting study over impact of oxytocin
- there are oxytocin receptors on the lateral division of the CeA that can inhibit stress output

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

brainstem and amygdala

A

(output) sympathetic arousal
targets the sympathetic nervous system and increases arousal to meet immediate challenges

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

parts of brainstem

A
  1. midbrain
  2. pons
  3. medulla
22
Q

midbrain parts

A

periaqueductal gray – “freeze response”
dorsal raphe nucleus – “release of serotonin”
ventral tegmental area – “release of dopamine”

23
Q

neuromodulators

A

(dorsal raphe nucleus, ventral tegmental area, locus coeruleus)
because modulate activity in amygdala by releasing hormones

24
Q

pons parts

A

(NRPC) nucleus reticularis pontis caudalis – “increase startle response”
parabrachial nucleus – “increase breathing rate”
locus coeruleus – “increase serotonin”

25
Q

startle response

A

increase sensitivity to input leads to an exaggerated response

26
Q

medulla parts

A

dorsal motor nucleus of vagus nerve – “increases heart rate”

27
Q

periaqueductal gray

A

avoidance – fight/ flight – immobility
If you freeze, you may not have to fight, if you’re not seen (momentary default)

28
Q

substantia innominata and amygdala

A

(output) alertness

29
Q

substantia innominata parts

A

BNST and NBM (influence CeA)

30
Q

NBM (of the substantia innominata)

A

releases acetylcholine, because of projections of the CeA driving the NBM

31
Q

BNST (of the substantia innominata)

A

same direct targets of central nucleus, creates background awareness

32
Q

what is the impact of acetylcholine on response? (in the substantia innominata)

A

it reduces the threshold for firing and increases sensitivity to threat (more susceptible to input)
POTENTIATION

33
Q

what are the two pathways from CeA as a result of the substantia innominata?

A
  1. NBM –> indirect pathway
    insula, hippocampal formation, PFC, posterior fusiform gyrus
  2. direct pathway
    hypothalamus, brainstem, NBM
34
Q

study on rodents and BLA in substantia innominata

A

injected neurons in BLA with a tracker to see the major target of CeA
found BNST is a redundancy of info tracking, so it can maintain levels of activation and arousal so amygdala can respond to threats as they arise

35
Q

Insula and the amygdala

A

(output) interoception
awareness of bodily adjustments begin in insula

36
Q

information to insula

A

BLA sends information with axons directly to insula, which projects to the anterior insula
- creates representation of somatosensory and interoceptive projections from the body

37
Q

implications of insula

A

creates change in body temperature, blood pressure, etc. changes in sensory input (ex. butterflies in stomach)
“we’re afraid because we run from the bear”

38
Q

hippocampal formation and the amygdala

A

(output) contextual memory
memory of where/ when a change has occurred (context of threat/ situation)

39
Q

hippocampal formation’s two impacts

A
  1. excitatory projects from BLA allows amygdala to protentiate activity of the HF and indirectly increase acetylcholine by projects of CeA to NBM
  2. HF creates a break for HPA access negative feedback to end its own signaling (directly inhibits PVN)
40
Q

prefrontal cortex and the amygdala

A

(output) attention & regulation-inhibition

41
Q

PFC and information

A

BLA has direct projections to PFC medial right hemisphere

42
Q

two functions of PFC and amygdala

A
  1. Converging information for conscious awareness
  2. reappraisal (stop threat response)
43
Q

conscious awareness of PFC

A

subjective evaluation
amygdala –> vmPFC –> dmPFC –>dACC

convergence of information into the vmPFC creates conscious awareness of our experiences

projections from BLA increase sensitivity of vmPFC neurons to input

44
Q

PFC lateral surface

A

dlPFC: planning
vlPFC: reappraisal

45
Q

PFC reappraisal

A

reappraisal back through the amygdala (can inhibit) – you survived, can stop the threat response now
NBM –> vmPFC –> dmPFC –> BLA –> ICMs –> CeA
can inhibit through ICMs or BLA to CeA

46
Q

Michael’s video

A

he was scared before he even came out so flooded with cortisol, freezes then falls (fear-potentiated startled response)
- everything else stops except his response to that threat
- lots of acetylcholine so ready to fire
- he was an effective regulator, jumps back up (reappraisal)
“let’s get back under control here”

47
Q

The ____ functions as the primary input structure of the amygdala.

A

BLA

48
Q

The ____ nucleus of the thalamus relays visual information to the amygdala.

A

pulvinar

49
Q

CeA projections to the _____ facilitate fear-potentiated startle.

A

NRPC

50
Q

The _____ PAG mediates freezing in response to threat.

A

Vl (ventrolateral)

aka, periaqueductal gray

51
Q

Greater density of ______ receptors in the lateral division of the CeA contributes to prosocial and affiliative behaviors.

A

oxytocin

52
Q

Through the integration of inputs from multiple structures, the vmPFC facilitates the ______ of our experiences.

A

subjective evaluation