DSA Neural Basis of emotion

Question 1

What are the subsets of emotions that are “hardwired” in the brain

Answer 1

Fear
Anger
Pleasure
Avoidance
Sadness
Disgust
Surprise

Question 2

Mirror Neuron System

Answer 2

the circuits that allow us to experience an emotion are the same circuits that allow us to Identify that emotion in others

Mirror neurons fire both when you do something (smile) and when you see someone else doing that same action

also important in emotional processing as well

Question 3

What are the two types of fear

Answer 3

Innate (unconditioned

• Fear that requires no experience
• animals are smells, humans, loud noises and falling

Learned (conditioned)

• Learned from experience
• can be direct experience or indirect

Question 4

What are the two pathways information gets to the amygdala and what is it carrying

Answer 4

Direct thalamoamygdaloid pathway to the lateral nucleus of the amygdala:
-pathway mediates rapid response

Indirect thalamo-cortico-amygdaloid pathway to the lateral nucleus of the amygdala
-mediates later responses

Question 5

What does the lateral nucleus of the amygdala do and then where does that information go

Answer 5

integrates the inputs of fear (pairing of sound and an electrical shock)

then this information is sent to the basal and intercalated nuclei for additional processing

then from their to the central nucleus which decides what responses are required and relays that information appropriately (send to hypothalamus

Question 6

What happens if an individual has damage to the amygdala

Answer 6

Fear is not perceived therefore conditioning related to fear does not occur

Question 7

What location is anger mediated through and what receptors do this

Answer 7

Mediated through the amygdala

requires Dopamine acting at D2 receptors

Question 8

What inhibits anger

Answer 8

Neocortex
Ventromedial hypothalamic nuclei
Septal nuclei

Question 9

What is avoidance designed to do and what are its anatomical locations

Answer 9

Designed to do the opposite of the pleasure/reward pathways

prevent the occurrence of a behavior that has short term rewards but long term negative consequences

Lateral posterior hypothalamus
dorsal midbrain
Entorhinal cortex

Question 10

What is the anatomical substrate for sadness

Answer 10

Lower sector of the aterior cingulate cortex

strongly activated when recalling sad events

Question 11

What is the anatomical substrate for disgust

Answer 11

Insular cortex/putamen

processing and recognition of social cues related to disgust

Damage including huntingtons disease abolishes it

Question 12

What is the anatomical substrate for Surprise

Answer 12

Parahippocampal gyrus