Neuro Lecture 11: The Limbic System and the Autonomic Nervous System

Emotion consists of what 3 components?

Perception

Feeling

Behavior

This component of emotion is dependent on the state of the animal

Ex. hunger, hormones

Perception

This component of emotion involves the autonomic nervous system and is subjective/covert

Feeling

This component of emotion involves emotional overt responses

Behavior

What are the 2 types of experience of emotion?

1. Subjective ‘experience’ (difficult to operationally define)

2. Response patterns (easier to operationally define)

Recognizing an emotional response pattern requires what?

Experience with a particular species in a wide range of contexts

Sympathetic activation and preparation for fight or flight

Emotion as motivation

What components are included in Papez Circuit (6)?

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Hippocampus to mammillary bodies

To anterior nucleus of thalamus

To Cingulate gyrus

To Entorhinal cortex

To Hippocampus

This is the basic neural circuit of emotion

The Limbic System

Between the ‘thinking’ brain (dorsal) and the structures controlling the output of the nervous system

“The feeling and reacting brain”

What 8 structures are involved in the limbic system?

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1. Hippocampus

2. Amygdala (with hippocampus forms the ‘uncus’)

3. Fornix (connects limbic structures with one another)

4. Septal area (Olds and Milner’s ‘Pleasure Center’)

5. Mammilary bodies and hypothalamus

6. Limbic cortex (cingulate, parahippocampal, and insular)

7. Orbitofrontal cortex

8. Nucleus Accumbens

This is the oldest part of the limbic system

Septal area

Majority of what sensory input goes to the limbic system?

Olfactory input

Involves mammillary bodies, the mammillothalamic tract, and hormones

Hypothalamus

This structure involves hippocampal input

It is the “pleasure center” based upon highly rewarding nature of electrical stimulation of the area

May be involved in emotional involvement and learning and regulating motivated behaviors

Septal area

The most critical role of all limbic structures

Amygdala

Info into the hippocampus through what?

Entorhinal (surface)

Most recently evolved part of the limbic system?

Orbital gyri (frontal lobe)

This loop appears critical for the effect of reward/punishment upon learned behaviors

The limbic basal ganglia loop

Receives input from anterior nucleus of the thalamus (which in turn received input from the hypothalamus and hippocampus)

Cingulate gyrus

The cingulate gyrus connects to what 3 structures?

A.I.O

Amygdala, insular cortex, and oribitofrontal

This structure plays a major role in memory

• Consolidation of declarative memories - “explicit” memory

Also navigation - the formation of cognitive maps

Role in stress and emotions

Hippocampus

The door into the hippocampus is what?

Out?

In: Entorhinal cortex

Out: Fornix

Projections of the hippocampus go to what?

Septal nuclei and mammilary bodies

Attempt to decrease emotional outbursts in schizophrenic patient

• eliminates the pathologic emotions but leaves an emotional ‘vacuum’ = apathy.

Prefrontal lobotomies

This is the integrator of emotion

Amygdala

The amygdala gets input from where?

Output to where (2 areas)?

Input from all sensory systems

Output to areas involved in the ANS and motor areas

The amygdala can also be a switch of what behaviors?

Aggressive behaviors

The amygdala has what two different nuclei?

Central nucleus and emotionally aversive stimuli

Lateral nucleus and emotional learning

Which nucleus of the amygdala is involved in acquired/learned emotional responses, emotional memories, innate emotional reponses, and CLASSICAL CONDITIONING

Lateral nucleus

This structure is associated with pattern recognition, the Gestalt of a situation, analyzing emotion in facial expression and speech, and productive emotion in speech

Right Hemisphere

This part of the ANS uses energy to enable the organism in flight or fight situations

Sympathetic

This part of the ANS stores energy and is active during periods of relative calm

Parasympathetic

What is the true purpose of ANS?

Energy allocation

This term is associated with rest and digest, feed and breed - NOT parasympathetic

Anabolic

This term is associated with times of imminent danger, fight or flight - sympathetic

Catabolic

What area of the spine is parasympathetic output?

Cranio-sacral

What area of the spine is sympathetic output?

Thoraco-lumbar

What is the neurotransmitter associated with the parasympathetic system?

Acetylcholine (Ach) - begin digestion

What is the neurotransmitter associated with the sympathetic system?

Norepinephrine (NE) - stop digestion

Which activity can deplete energy stores and decrease immune response?

Sympathetic activity