Stress, anxiety and aggression

Question 1

What system is required in the stress response?

Answer 1

Sympathetic adrenal medullary system

Question 2

The hypothalamus released CRH which causes the release of what 2 things?

Answer 2

ACTH and glucocorticoids such as cortisol, which act upon the adrenal medulla

Question 3

What are the effects of 1) epinephrine 2) norepinephrine

Answer 3

1. Increased blood glucose
2. Increases blood pressure

Question 4

Explain how stress can be neurotoxic

Answer 4

Chronic exposure to glucocorticoids leads to decreased glucose entry and glutamate reuptake, this leads to excessive stimulation on the post-synaptic neuron and excessive calcium influx. The hippocampus is sensitive to this over-excitation

Question 5

Diamond et al, 1999 found impairments in a spatial task, how does this provide evidence for stress-induced neurotoxicity

Answer 5

The hippocampus is involved in spatial tasks, showing that the experimentally induced stress had an affect on the hippocampus

Question 6

Who found out that bottom rank velvet monkeys have enlarged adrenal glands and hippocampus degeneration?

Answer 6

Uno et al, 1989

Question 7

What did Son et al (2006) find out about pre-natal stress?

Answer 7

Interferred with the establishment of LTP in the offspring

Question 8

What are some predisposing factors of PTSD?

Answer 8

Differences in the genes for the D2 receptors and the dopamine and 5HT transporters

Question 9

What brain changes occur in PTSD?

Answer 9

Smaller hippocampus

Question 10

What is the role of the medial prefrontal cortex, in the context of PTSD?

Answer 10

Inhibits the amygdala

Question 11

Name the three treatments for PTSD

Answer 11

1. Psychotherapy
2. Anti-depressants
3. Exposure/cue therapy

Question 12

The finding that rats spend more time on the anxiogenic open arm following BZD administration indicates what?

Answer 12

That BZD helps to relax you due to the hyperpolarisation of the neuron, hence spending more time in the more fearful condition

Question 13

In humans Paulus found that BZDs reduce what activity, when looking at emotional faces?

Answer 13

The amygdala

Question 14

During anxiety attacks, neurosteroid synthesis is suppressed, how would this affect anxiety levels?

Answer 14

Increases them due to the fact that they usually increase the function of the GABAa receptor

Question 15

D-cycloserine is a direct agonist of the NMDA receptor and reduced panic like symptoms. How?

Answer 15

By increasing the excitation of the neuron, d-cycloserine helps regulate the excessive firing that occurs with panic symptoms

Question 16

The periaqueductal grey is involved in defensive and predation behaviours. Which parts of the PAG are involved in each of these behaviours?

Answer 16

Defensive = dorsal PAG
Predation = ventral PAG

Question 17

What is the link between seretonin and aggression

Answer 17

Increasing seretonin transmission decreases aggression

Question 18

What did findings show was implicated in rhesus monkeys and their increased aggression?

Answer 18

Low levels of the seretonin metabolite 5-HIAA

Question 19

What are the gender findings surrounding aggression in rodents?

Answer 19

Females are less likely to fight when they meet a neutral animal than males, however they are more likely to attack when slightly androgenized

Question 20

Conditioned place preference shows what about rats?

Answer 20

They will spend more time in the paired side of the chamber, anticipating the intruder

Question 21

What are the findings in the intruder chamber studies?

Answer 21

Rats will continue to lever press, even in the absence of an intruder

Question 22

What protein can be measured to measure brain activity?

Answer 22

Fos protein

Question 23

What is the process called in which Fos is detected in the post-mortem brain?

Answer 23

Immunohistochemistry

Question 24

What brain areas are involved in reward and motivation

Answer 24

nucleus acumbens and the VTA

Question 25

What study shows that the self-administration of aggression in rats is rewarding?

Answer 25

There is more Fos activation in the nucleus acumbens of self-administrated aggression rats, compared to the control group

Question 26

What is optogenetics?

Answer 26

The process of artificially turning on neurons with light

Question 27

What does optogenetic stimulation of the VTA do?

Answer 27

Results in more aggressive behaviours towards the intruder

Question 28

What is the main process called in optogenetics?

Answer 28

Transfection

Question 29

c-Fos protein is an example of what type of gene?

Answer 29

Immediate early gene

Question 30

What do electrophysiological reports measure?

Answer 30

The response of neurons in the brain in response to specific stimuli and movements

Question 31

What is the Daun2 inactivation technique?

Answer 31

Allows us to selectively silence cells that are activated during expression of cocaine-induced locomotive sensitization