Lecture 10

Question 1

Stress response

Answer 1

• The physiological changes that occur when you experience a stressor
• Complex network of nerve signalling and hormonal messaging which activates some physiological processes and suppresses others
• A way in which individuals regulate their physiology in response to daily activities and environmental conditions

Question 2

Stressor

Answer 2

.Anything that activates / elicits a stress response (usually threats to survival or reproduction)

Question 3

Hans Selye

Answer 3

. Describe the “general adaptation syndrome” as a predictable way that the body responds to stress

Question 4

general adaptation syndrome

Answer 4

• The predictable way the body responds to stress
• Described by Hans Selye
• 3 stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion
  
  1. fight or flight response
  2. focus resources against stressor
  3. if stress prolonged or beyond capacity, body exhausts itself

Question 5

allostasis

Answer 5

the normal range for a physiological system varies by circumstances in an adaptive fashion
-process by which body reacts to stress in order to maintain homeostasis

Question 6

allostatic load

Answer 6

the costs associated with the negative health outcomes of a prolonged stress response
-“wear and tear” of chronic stress.

Question 7

autonomic nervous system

Answer 7

the part of the nervous system responsible for control of the bodily functions not consciously directed, such as breathing, the heartbeat, and digestive processes.

Question 8

sympathetic nervous system

Answer 8

-activates stress response

Question 9

parasympathetic nervous system

Answer 9

-suppresses stress response.

Question 10

adrenal gland

Answer 10

-secretes epinephrine (adrenaline), located just above kidneys

Question 11

hormonal stress response

Answer 11

1. threat perception by brain
2. release of corticotrophin-releasing hormone by hypothalamus
3. secretion of ACTH/corticotropin by pituitary gland (HPA axis)
4. circulation of ACTH in the bloodstream triggering the release of cortisol by the adrenal gland
5. cortisol receptors in brain structures such as the hippocampus can stimulate further cortisol release

Question 12

cortisol

Answer 12

Cortisol is a steroid hormone that regulates a wide range of processes throughout the body, including metabolism and the immune response. It also has a very important role in helping the body respond to stress.

Question 13

HPA axis

Answer 13

complex set of direct influences and feedback interactions among three components: the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, and the adrenal.
-component of major neuroendocrine system

Question 14

EAA in relation to stress response

Answer 14

• environment of evolutionary adaptedness
• persistent activation of stress response as result of thinking a lot and complex/stressful contemporary social situations
• these issues happen because we are maladapted to our modern stress environment

Question 15

Stress in humans

Question 16

stress and biological normalcy

Answer 16

• studies about stress in many areas, such as those in th US, tend to be biased, especially towards having highly stressed individuals be presented as the norm rather than as pathologic
• cadavers used to study were historically from working class rather than upper clas

Question 17

CVD and stress

Answer 17

• heart is one of the main targets of epinephrine
• receives indirect effects from cortisol
• increased risk of CVD asociated with stress
• changes in blood pressure (hypertension), possibility of heart attack and stroke

Question 18

immune function and stress

Answer 18

-cortisol causes IMMUNOSUPPRESSION in the form of thymus shrinkage, lowered circulating T-cell levels, reduced cytokine levels, and the inhibition of antigen presentation
-can become pathological over time
-tied to chronic stress
EX) getting sick during exam season

Question 19

immunosuppression

Answer 19

-the partial or complete suppression of the immune response of an individual.

Question 20

autoimmune

Answer 20

-is the system of immune responses of an organism against its own healthy cells and tissues. Any disease that results from such an aberrant immune response is termed an “autoimmune disease”`

Question 21

child growth and stress

Answer 21

• can occur at any point in growth and development
• in utero experience influences development of the HPA response
• impaired growth
• accelerated development
• influence of security and attachment
• extreme end results in psychosocial dwarfosm

Question 22

attachment and stress

Answer 22

-formation of attachment anxiety and avoidance

Question 23

delayed growth and stress

Answer 23

-stress sends a signal to delay physical growth

Question 24

accelerated development and stress

Answer 24

• accelerated sexual develop and maturity

- lower age at which can bear children and in turn maximize change at reproducing

Question 25

Whitehall study

Answer 25

- studies of British civil servants - observed differences in stress and health tied closely to social class and more disparate with higher levels of inequality - compared mortality of people in the highly hierarchical environment of british civil service

Question 26

Michael Marmot

Answer 26

- studied social determinants on health alongside Richard Wilkinson - inequality, involved with Whitehall studies

Question 27

Richard Wilkinson

Answer 27

- once financial threshold reached, higher income not associated with higher life expectancy - in wealthy countries, average in come does not predict better health

Question 28

Relative status

Answer 28

-Social experience and awareness of relative status -Hierarchies are in themselves sources of stress (Think non-human primates) -Countries with high levels of social inequality cause individuals to worry about their social status, and the consequences of changing this status -Overall health improves with redistribution of resources towards greater equality

Question 29

social cohesion

Answer 29

-The shared values, goals, and distribution of resources within a society -Permits individual participation of in social life, involvement in social activities and organizations Characteristics of hierarchical societies: -Less integration -Fewer opportunities for social participation and network formation

Question 30

social support

Answer 30

- Can ameliorate some of the negative effects of low status | - A form of ‘social capital’ in which ‘social resources’ can be drawn upon as needed

Question 31

William Dressler

Answer 31

-described 'lifestyle incongruity' in 1995

Question 32

lifestyle incongruity

Answer 32

- “Inconsistency between one’s real or desired lifestyle and one’s education and occupation, such that the expectations associated with a particular lifestyle are higher than what one’s education of occupation can reasonably attain” - Increased incongruity and higher blood pressure - Alleviation by social support

Question 33

race and ethnicity

Answer 33

The use of ‘race’ for diagnosis and treatment - --Can some health differentials be attributed to one’s racial affinity? - --Are different races susceptible to different diseases? - --Do some races have a higher or lower risk of developing a particular disease? - --What are we looking at? Genetic differences? Social differences?