Final

Question 1

What does the behavioural systems approach examine?

Answer 1

Networks/combinations of behaviours that work towards a common goal

Question 2

What fundamental problems do behavioural systems help organisms solve?

Answer 2

• Survival
• Reproduction
• Feeding
• Escape/avoidance
• Attachment
• Dominance
• Learning/memory

Question 3

How is the brain viewed within the behavioural systems framework?

Answer 3

Designed to support these systems rather than individual components

Question 4

What is the study of behavioural systems called?

Answer 4

Systems neuroscience

Question 5

Which fields are associated with systems neuroscience?

Answer 5

• Cognitive/Behavioral Psychiatry
• Neurology
• Neurosurgery
• Rehabilitation medicine
• Cellular neuroscience
• Clinical Systems Neuroscience
• Molecular neuroscience

Question 6

What role do genes play in behavioural systems?

Answer 6

Provide information for the basic development of these systems

Question 7

What must systems be able to do in order to survive?

Answer 7

Integrate information from the environment and adapt behaviours to individual contexts

Question 8

What are some behavioural systems involved in learning and memory?

Answer 8

• Spatial navigation
• Acquisition of motor skills
• Episodic memory

Question 9

Which behavioural system is considered the best understood?

Answer 9

The fear system

Question 10

Why is the fear system well understood?

Answer 10

Combination of obvious evolutionary importance and ease of eliciting response in animals

Question 11

Fill in the blank: The fear system is a combination of obvious evolutionary importance and _______.

Answer 11

ease of eliciting response in animals

Question 12

What are the needs met by the fear system?

Answer 12

Escape of harmful events and avoidance of similar events in the future

This highlights the survival function of the fear response.

Question 13

What are some species-specific defensive behaviors of the rat?

Answer 13

• Freezing
• Fleeing
• Fighting

These behaviors are adaptations for survival against predators.

Question 14

Which defensive behavior is most common in rats?

Answer 14

Freezing

Freezing is often the most effective response against predators.

Question 15

Why is freezing an effective behavior for rats?

Answer 15

Predators are typically faster and stronger

This makes evasion through freezing a viable survival strategy.

Question 16

What are innate danger signals activated by?

Answer 16

Innate danger signals

These are biological responses that trigger fear without prior experience.

Question 17

What kind of arousal is activated by learned danger signals?

Answer 17

Autonomic arousal

This refers to physiological responses learned through experience.

Question 18

Who developed the concept of species-specific defense responses?

Answer 18

Robert Bolles

Bolles’ work focuses on the unique defensive behaviors of different species.

Question 19

What is the predatory imminence gradient?

Answer 19

Distance of predator predicts relative success of behavior

This concept was developed by Michael Fanselow.

Question 20

What behavior does a rat exhibit when a predator is far away?

Answer 20

Freeze

This is a defensive behavior based on the perceived threat level.

Question 21

What might a rat do if a predator is within striking distance?

Answer 21

Try to flee

The rat assesses the danger and acts accordingly.

Question 22

If a rat is caught by a predator, what behavior may it exhibit?

Answer 22

Fight (biting, thrashing, scratching)

This is a last resort response when escape is not possible.

Question 23

What are the responses humans may have to a potentially threatening stimulus according to Blanchard?

Answer 23

• Interruption of activity
• Rapid orientation toward stimulus
• Assessment to identify potential danger

These responses are part of the human fear response system.

Question 24

What happens when an individual cannot localize or identify a danger?

Answer 24

Freeze, admonishing others to be silent

This behavior is a survival tactic that aims to avoid detection.

Question 25

What are the possible actions if danger is identified?

Answer 25

* Flee * Hide ## Footnote These are common responses to perceived threats.

Question 26

What is the behavior if a person is caught or cornered?

Answer 26

Fight ## Footnote This can include aggressive actions as a defensive measure.

Question 27

What is the role of the autonomic nervous system in fear behaviors?

Answer 27

It controls involuntary responses to danger signals

Question 28

What are the two branches of the autonomic nervous system?

Answer 28

Parasympathetic and sympathetic

Question 29

What is the sympathetic nervous system responsible for?

Answer 29

'Fight or flight' response activation

Question 30

What physiological changes occur when the sympathetic nervous system is activated?

Answer 30

* Dilation of pupils * Constriction of salivary glands * Acceleration of heart rate * Dilation of bronchi * Inhibition of digestion

Question 31

What does the activation of the sympathetic system stimulate?

Answer 31

Production of norepinephrine and hormone release

Question 32

Fill in the blank: The sympathetic nervous system _______ the heart rate.

Answer 32

accelerates

Question 33

What hormone does the adrenal gland release that modulates memory?

Answer 33

Epinephrine (adrenaline)

Question 34

What effect does epinephrine have on memory?

Answer 34

It produces significant modulation of memory

Question 35

What was the purpose of the study by Gold and Van Buskirk (1975)?

Answer 35

To assess the effect of epinephrine on avoidance behavior in rats

Question 36

True or False: Injection of epinephrine more than 30 minutes post-training increases avoidance in rats.

Answer 36

False

Question 37

What kind of training did rats undergo in the study by Gold and Van Buskirk?

Answer 37

Inhibitory avoidance training with a mild shock

Question 38

What is the relationship between shock intensity and avoidance behavior?

Answer 38

Greater shock produces greater avoidance

Question 39

What did Cahill and Alkire (2003) test regarding epinephrine?

Answer 39

The effect of epinephrine on human emotional memory ## Footnote They used saline and different doses of epinephrine during their study.

Question 40

What is a major way epinephrine influences memory?

Answer 40

Through action on the vagus nerve ## Footnote Epinephrine binds to adrenergic receptors on this nerve.

Question 41

What does the vagus nerve project to in the brain?

Answer 41

The solitary tract nucleus (NTS) of the brain stem ## Footnote This projection is crucial for the memory influence of epinephrine.

Question 42

What is the locus coeruleus (LC)?

Answer 42

A small nucleus in the brainstem with less than 2000 neurons ## Footnote It is stimulated by the NTS and is involved in norepinephrine release.

Question 43

What does stimulation of the locus coeruleus cause?

Answer 43

Release of norepinephrine across a wide range of brain regions ## Footnote This includes areas such as the hippocampus and amygdala.

Question 44

What is the role of norepinephrine in emotional memory?

Answer 44

It is a key endpoint of epinephrine binding to receptors on the vagus nerve ## Footnote The release of norepinephrine in the BLA is crucial for memory enhancement.

Question 45

Fill in the blank: Stronger stimulus leads to _______ in BLA.

Answer 45

greater release of norepinephrine ## Footnote This suggests a relationship between stimulus strength and memory encoding.

Question 46

What brain regions are influenced by norepinephrine release?

Answer 46

* Hippocampus * Amygdala ## Footnote These regions are critical for processing emotional memories.

Question 47

What are the three primary fear responses?

Answer 47

Flight, Fight, Analgesia

Question 48

True or False: Some stimuli can produce a fear response without prior exposure.

Answer 48

True

Question 49

Fill in the blank: The fear system allows us to learn new threats and plan accordingly in response to _______ stimuli.

Answer 49

previously insignificant

Question 50

What can modify our fear response?

Answer 50

Aversive experience

Question 51

Fear can develop to both _______ and predictive stimuli.

Answer 51

place/context of aversive experience

Question 52

Once established, how long do fear memories last?

Answer 52

A long time

Question 53

What is the adaptive purpose of fear memories?

Answer 53

For survival

Question 54

What is the role of the basolateral nucleus in the fear system?

Answer 54

Organized to receive sensory information about the environment

Question 55

Which brain region regulates the expression of fear?

Answer 55

Central nucleus of the amygdala

Question 56

What does the central nucleus of the amygdala regulate?

Answer 56

The expression of fear

Question 57

List the components of the fear system that receive sensory information.

Answer 57

* Hippocampus * Perirhinal cortex * Basolateral nucleus * Central nucleus

Question 58

What type of arousal is associated with fear responses?

Answer 58

Autonomic arousal

Question 59

Fill in the blank: The _______ regulates freezing behavior.

Answer 59

Midbrain

Question 60

What is the significance of learned danger signals?

Answer 60

They allow for the anticipation of threats

Question 61

True or False: The fear system is disorganized and does not efficiently process sensory information.

Answer 61

False

Question 62

What are the effects of classical conditioning on fear?

Answer 62

Establishes long-lasting fear memories

Question 63

What is the role of the lateral nucleus in fear behaviors?

Answer 63

Receives sensory info from thalamus, cortex, and hippocampus ## Footnote The lateral nucleus integrates sensory inputs to process fear stimuli.

Question 64

What are the two clusters of inhibitory intercalated (ITC) neurons in the amygdala?

Answer 64

ITC-a and ITC-b ## Footnote These clusters play a crucial role in modulating the activity of the central nucleus.

Question 65

What does the central amygdala control?

Answer 65

Midbrain structures that support expression of defensive behaviours ## Footnote The central amygdala acts as a command center for initiating fear-related responses.

Question 66

Fill in the blank: The central nucleus is modulated by the _______.

Answer 66

Lateral nucleus ## Footnote The lateral nucleus influences the functioning of the central nucleus in fear responses.

Question 67

What is the function of ITC-b neurons?

Answer 67

Inhibit central amygdala ## Footnote ITC-b neurons play a critical role in regulating fear responses by inhibiting central amygdala activity.

Question 68

How does ITC-a influence ITC-b?

Answer 68

Inhibits ITC-b to allow excitation of central nucleus ## Footnote This interaction is important for the modulation of fear signals.

Question 69

What is required for the fear response in the central nucleus?

Answer 69

Depolarization of central nucleus ## Footnote This process is essential for initiating fear-related behaviors.

Question 70

What is the relationship between conditioned fear response and fear circuit?

Answer 70

Conditioned fear response is created by re-organization of fear circuit ## Footnote This re-organization is crucial for learning and expressing fear responses.

Question 71

What do the prelimbic and infralimbic PFC connections do?

Answer 71

Reciprocal connections with F neurons and inhibit fear signal ## Footnote These connections help modulate fear responses and facilitate extinction.

Question 72

True or False: The central nucleus amplifies the fear signal.

Answer 72

True ## Footnote The central nucleus enhances the fear response through its connections and activity.

Question 73

What are the key components involved in fear conditioning and synaptic plasticity?

Answer 73

Central nucleus, ITC neurons, sensory input ## Footnote These components work together to facilitate the learning and expression of fear.