psyc201 2

ANS

the communication highway between your CNS (brain and spinal cord) and your internal organs - works automatically

ANS sits within

peripheral nervous system, and the two main branches are the parasympathetic NS and the sympathetic NS

ANS uses a two neuron pathway

a preganaglionic neuron (first neuron) synapses onto a postganglionic neuron (second neuron) at a ganglion, and the post neuron reaches the target organ

What are the NT in the preganglionic NT and the postganglionic NT in the sympathetic NS?

Acetylcholine in Preganglionic and then switches to Noradrenaline in Post ganglionic NT

Sympathetic: where is the ganglion (pit stop)?

it is close to the spinal cord, messenger 1 is short and messenger 2 has a long way to run to reach the organ

Parasympathetic: where is the ganglion (pit stop)?

the pit stop is right next to the organ, so messenger 1 has a long way to run and messenger 2 is very short

What is Heart Rate Variability (HRV)

the variation between in time between consecutive heartbeats. A healthy heart does not beat perfectly

Higher HRV is…(better/worse)

better! high HRV means your ANS is flexible and responsive. it is associated with better attentional control, better decison making

Lower HRV is…(better/worse)

Worse! it is related to MDD, ASD, ADHD, schizophrenia. Nearly every major psychiatric disorder reduces HRV.

HRV is controlled by

sympathetic (speeds heart up) and parasympathetic branches (slows it down). The brain regions that regulate this include the prefrontal cortex, cingulate cortex, amygdala, hypothalamus, and brainstem.

Measuring HRV gives us a window into

how well brain regions are functioning

parasympathetic is more active

during rest

sympathetic is more active during

the day

most organs receive input from both

the parasympathetic and the sympathetic and they flow between both organ and brain, brain then organ

stress activates

the sympathetic autonomic nervous system to prepare us for action and also activates hormonal systems (cortisol) and reduces the immune response.