1: Neurobiology of Anxiety

What is anxiety comorbid with

Depression

How many people will have an anxiety disorder

10-30% of people

What is anxiety and what are the symptoms

It is extreme worry to stressful situations

• increased restlessness and muscle tension

• Impaired concentration

• Sleep disturbances

• Irritability

• ANS (autonomic) produces fight or flight

What is the Yerkes-Dodson law

As performance increases with physiological or mental arousal, only up to a point

Three-component model of anxiety

Stress can induce a cyclical interaction of bodily response, ineffective behavior, & upsetting thoughts when potential stressor is viewed as a threat

Ex: self doubt, might stop studying → less sleep b/c of the worry

What is the amygdala’s role?

Amygdala has a central role in many circuits of emotional processing

What is the BNST’s role?

Role in autonomic and behavioral responses connects limbic to hypothalamus & BS

What is the difference between fear and anxiety and what parts of the NS affect each

Fear is an emotional response to current danger, anxiety is future

• BNST anxiety

• Central nucleus of amygdala for fear

What is a CER

Conditioned emotional response that happens with classical conditioning

PFC role in emotion

Prefrontal cortex controls limbic structure responses, by controlling emotions by regulating amygdala

What is CRF

Corticotropin-releasing factor is a NT released from hypothalamus in response to stress

Normally its a hormone, but acts as a NT when exposed to stressful stimuli therefore increasing anxiety which causes an ANS response

What does the CRF excite which drugs for anxiety inhibit

LC neurons

What is released and where when a threat presents

NE is released in the LC when presented with a threat

What does benzodiazepines do

Increase GABA to prevent channel opening as GABA has binding sites specifically for benzodiazepines binding

What increases the risk of a panic attack or anxiety disorder

Less binding sites for benzodiazepines on GABA

What role does serotonin have in anxiety

Have a large role in anxiety modulations

SSRIS can sometimes increase anxiety and sometimes don’t depending on the 5-HT receptor

What increases DA firing and what is the result of this

Stress increases DA firing and therefore increases anxiety