Stress I & II
describe the general steps of the rodent research model
1. take baseline cortisol blood concentrations
2. rig the floor with random periodic mild shocks
3. record elevated cortisol blood concentration
4. introduce a psychological intervention
5. observe possible change in stress levels (compare cortisol blood concentration)
Why is Alzheimer's disease not simply accelerated aging?
Because it has a specific window of onset (70-90years)
explain the traditional view of emotional processesing
stimulus/trigger
perception/awareness
emotional response
biological response
What are the two main differences between MDD and Dysthymia?
1. Dysthymia is milder by symptoms
2. Dysthymia lasts longer than MDD
Define psychosis
A break from reality. Having trouble deciding what is real or not.
Identify the two reasons that the immune system becomes suppressed during the fight or flight response
1. The immune system takes up a lot of energy, so if it is suppresses, that energy can be used elsewhere
2. It reduces inflammation
What 3 conclusions can be made about genetics and Alzheimer's?
1. genetics plays a significant role in Alzheimer's (genetic markers)
2. there is a stronger genetic link for early-onset Alzheimer's.
3. there is less likely to be a genetic component for late-onset Alzheimer's
What is a panic attack? How does the study on panic attacks support the James-Lange Theory
A panic attack is a sudden spike in sympathetic response and a feeling of extreme fear. patients with panic attacks were asked to raise hand when they felt fear. The spike in sympathetic response came before the participants expressed the feeling of fear.
What is anhedonia?
What is the difference between positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Give an example for each
positive symptoms are symptoms that are present but should not be there.
ex: psychosis (hallucinations, delusions) and disorganized behaviors (irrational thinking, confusing speech)
negative symptoms are symptoms that are absent but should normally be there.
ex: lack of social etiquette, lack of emotions, catatonia, lack of consciousness, lack of motivation
why is physical exertion an effective outlet of frustration when stressed?
When you are stressed, your fight or flight system prepares your body for physical action. So by actually doing some sort of physical action you are giving the body what it wants.
Describe how acetylcholine agonists work as a treatment option for Alzheimer's disease.
It helps boost acetylcholine. This boosts arousal/alertness and memory processing (two symptoms of Alzheimer's).
What are the two main findings from pure autonomic patients, bell's palsy patients, and patients with botox
1. their emotional response is significantly decreased compared to the normal population
2. they have a decreased ability to recognize emotional expressions in others
what 4 brain areas are the most susceptible to damage during depression?
amygdala, hippocampus, hypothalamus, frontal lobes
Explain the difference between first, second, and third degree relatives. Give an example for each
First degree relatives are one step away from you and share 50% of their genes. ex: parents, siblings children
second degree relatives are two steps away from you and share 25% of their genes. ex: aunt/uncle, grandparents, half siblings
third degree relatives are three steps away from you and share 12.5% of their genes. ex: cousin, great grandparent
What is a negative feedback loop? Why is the HPA axis considered this and explain the mechanism behind this.
A negative feedback loop is a self-regulating mechanism that shuts itself off.
The HPA axis shuts itself off. This happens when enough cortisol is released into the bloodstream and it reaches a threshold. The hypothalamus detects this and shuts the system off by stopping the release of CRH.
Explain how plaques are formed and what occurs as a result
Alzheimer's patients produce excess amyloid protein, resulting in clumping outside the cell in synapses. This prevents synaptic transmission and cause these cells to eventually die off.
Explain the pencil study. What were the results and how does this relate to the facial feedback hypothesis?
The facial feedback hypothesis states that the physical expression on your face can effect how you feel emotionally. This study supports this hypothesis because their facial expression changed how they interpret emotional material.
What are the 3 conclusions that we made about genetics and depression? How does the research support these reasons.
1. genetics place a role in depression
prevalence rate of general population is 10%, concordance rates of twins is higher
2. the greater the genetic overlap you have of someone with depression, the greater the chances you have of getting depression
concordance rates of identical twins (100% genetic overlap) is higher than concordance rates of fraternal twins (50% genetic overlap)
3. the more severe the type of depression, the more genetics place a role
The concordance rates of twins with MDD are higher than twins with Dysthymia
(4. genetics is not the only factor in getting depression because concordance rates of identical twins would be at 100%)
What are the two findings on genetics and schizophrenia. How does the research support these findings?
1. genetics place a significant role
the concordance rate of family members with schizophrenia is higher than the prevalence rate of the general population
2. the greater the genetic overlap one has with a schizophrenic relative, the greater the chance for that individual to have schizophrenia
identical twins have a higher concordance rates than family members with less genetic overlap. the concordance rates go down from 1st-3rd degree relatives
3. genetics is not the only factor because identical twins would have 100% concordance rate if it was
Explain the steps of HPA activation
stress increases, hypothalamus activates and release CRH, CRH activates the pituitary gland which releases ACTH, ACTH activates the adrenal gland which releases cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine into the bloodstream.
Explain how tangles are formed and what occurs as a result.
Alzheimer's patients produce excess tau protein, resulting in tangles forming causes the microtubules of neurons to break apart. Because of this, they can no longer function and will eventually die off.
What are the conclusions of the Schacter and Singer study? how does it support their theory?
The informed group did not react emotionally to the confederate because they were aware of the adrenaline shot
The uninformed group reacted emotionally based on the happy/angry confederate because they were unaware of the adrenaline shot
Both groups used cognitive assessment to determine what kind of emotional response to the adrenaline/confederates was appropriate
This supports the theory that cognitive assessment occurs after a biological response and before an emotional response.
Explain what happens to the HPA axis during depression.
What is Rh incompatibility? How does this result in brain damage?