Stress and NS

Question 1

What is Stress?

Answer 1

a state of physiological and psychological arousal, produced by internal or external stressors that are perceived by the individual as challenging.

Question 2

Eustress

Answer 2

a positive psychological response to a stressor, as indicated by presence of positive psychological state.

Question 3

Distress

Answer 3

a negative psychological response to a stressor, as indicated by the pressence of a negative psychological state.

Question 4

Stressor

Answer 4

a stimulus that causes or produces stress; may be internal or external.

Question 5

Stress response

Answer 5

involves both the psychological and physiological changes that are experienced when confronted with stress.

Question 6

Internal Stressors

Answer 6

a stimulus from within a person’s body that prompts the stress response

Question 7

External Stressors

Answer 7

a stimuli from outside the body, the environment, that prompts the stress response.

Question 8

Acute Stress

Answer 8

a form of stress characterised by intense psychological and physiological symptoms that are brief in duration

Question 9

Chronic Stress

Answer 9

a form of distress that endures for several months or longer.

Question 10

Cortisol

Answer 10

a hormone that is responsible for regulating stress response
- energises body, anti-inflammatory effect, impairs immune system and cognitive performance

Question 11

GAS Model - Alarm Reaction

Answer 11

occurs when person first becomes aware of the stressor.

Question 12

GAS Model - Resistance

Answer 12

if stress is not dealt with immediately, organism goes into state of resistance
if stress is dealth with, organism will adapt to stressor, body will return to normal state.

Question 13

GAS Model - Exhaustion

Answer 13

if stress is not dealt with successfuly, organism enters state of exhaustion, body becomes vulnerale to illness, fatigue, high levels of anxiety

Question 14

L&F Model of Stress and Coping

Answer 14

proposes that stress involves a transaction between the individual and external environment, stress response depends on individual interpretation (appraisal) of the stressor.

Question 15

Primary Appraisal

Answer 15

we evaluate or ‘judge’ the significance of the event

Question 16

Secondary Appraisal

Answer 16

we evaluate our coping options and resources and our options for dealing with the event.

Question 17

Gut Brain Axis

Answer 17

a network of bidirectional neural pathways that enable communication between bacteria in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and the brain.

Question 18

Vagus Nerve

Answer 18

responsible for connecting cognitive and emotion regions of brain to intestinal tract, via sensory and motor neurons.
- longest nerve in body, communication between ENS and CNS primarily occur via this nerve.

Question 19

Microbiota

Answer 19

Gut microbiota (or microbiome) is the highly diverse and dynamic system of almost 100 trillion bacteria and other microorganisms that live in the GI.

Question 20

Coping Flexibility

Answer 20

the ability to effectively modify or adjust one’s coping strategies according to the demands of different stressful situations

Question 21

Approach Strategies

Answer 21

coping strategies that directly confront the source of the stress, and reduce or eliminate it

Question 22

Avoidant Strategies

Answer 22

coping strategies that involve evading or distracting oneself from the source of stress.

Question 23

Context-Specific Effectiveness

Answer 23

where is a match or ‘good fit’ between the coping strategy that is used and the stressful situation

Question 24

Nervous System - Functions

Answer 24

• receive information
• process information
• coordinate a response to information

Question 25

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Answer 25

consists of the - brain - spinal cord

Question 26

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

Answer 26

a network of cells located outside the CNS. - carries information to the CNS from the body's muscles, organs and glands - carries information from the CNS to the body's muscles, organs and glands.

Question 27

Somatic NS

Answer 27

controls the voluntary movement of skeletal muscles SAME - Sensory: Afferent, Motor: Efferent

Question 28

Autonomic NS

Answer 28

responsible for the communication of information between the central NS and the body's non-skeletal muscles and internal organs, carrying out basic bodily functions - digestion, heartbeat

Question 29

Sympathetic NS

Answer 29

responsible for increasing activity muscles, organs and glands in times of vigorous activity, stress or threat. - plays a role in flight or fight response.

Question 30

Parasympathetic NS

Answer 30

responsible for homeostasis, helps maintain the internal bodily environment in a steady state of normal functioning. - calms body down after arousal.

Question 31

Enteric NS (ENS)

Answer 31

the ENS is embedded in the walls of the gastrointestinal tract, a section of digestive system that food and liquids travel through. - determines movement of tracts, regulates gut acid

Question 32

Conscious Response

Answer 32

a conscious response to sensory stimuli is a reaction that involves awareness. usually a voluntary, 'intentional' response.

Question 33

Unconscious Response

Answer 33

an unconscious response to a sensory stimili is a reaction that does not involve awareness. involuntary, unintentional control.

Question 34

Spinal Reflex

Answer 34

an iunconscious, automatic response controlled solely by neural circuits in the spinal cord.

Question 35

Neurotransmitters

Answer 35

chemical substances produced by neurons which carry messages to other neurons in muscles, organs and other tissues. - must bind to receptor sites of post synaptic (receiving) neurons

Question 36

Excitatory Effect

Answer 36

consequently stimulate or activate postsynaptic neurons to perform their functions - glutamate neurotransmitter

Question 37

Inhibitory Effect

Answer 37

block or prevent post synaptic neuron from firing - GABA neurotransmitter

Question 38

Lock and Key Process

Answer 38

each neurotransmitter is chemically distinct in shape, will only bind to receptor site that it fits with. neutransmitter ('key') fits into receptor ('lock'), action potential continues to be fired.

Question 39

Neuromodulator

Answer 39

a subclass or neurotransmitters that have an effect on multiple postsynaptic neurons

Question 40

Dopamine

Answer 40

a neuromodulator that has an important role in voluntary movements, the experience of pleasure, motivation, appetite, reward-based learning and memory

Question 41

Serotonin

Answer 41

a neuromodulator that can have effects depending on where in the brain it is released, like moods, emotional processing, sleep, appetite and pain perception.

Question 42

Synaptic Plasticity

Answer 42

the ability of the synapse to change in response to experience, evident in physical changes that take place in synapses.

Question 43

Sprouting

Answer 43

the creation of new branchs on a neuron to allow it to make new connections with other neurons.

Question 44

Rerouting

Answer 44

new connections are made between neurons to create alternate neuarl pathways, can be entirely new or to other pathways in the brain.

Question 45

Pruning

Answer 45

the removal of weak, ineffective or unused snapses - 'use it or lose it'

Question 46

Long-Term Potentiation

Answer 46

long lasting strengthening of synaptic transmission due to repeated co-activation. - terminal buttons release more glutamate - growth of dendrites - more receptor sites

Question 47

Long Term Depression

Answer 47

long lasting weakening of synaptic transmission due to lack of stimulation or pre/post synaptic neurons or prolonged low stimulation.