psych limbic system

part of the limbic system that is important for forming new memories

hippocampus

controls emotional response like fear and aggression

amygdala

helps regulate basic bodily functions such as hunger, thirst, and temperature

hypothalamus

acts as a relay station, sending sensory information to different parts of the brain

thalamus

the sense of ___ is closely connected to the limbic system, which is why certain scents can trigger strong memories

smell

most directly involved in storing long term memories

hippocampus

main function of the amygdala

processing emotions such as fear

not part of the limbic system

cerebellum

hypothalamus is responsible for

regulating hunger and body temperature

why are smells linked with strong memories

olfactory signals travel through the limbic system

explain how the limbic system can influence a person’s behavior in a stressful situation

• amygdala will assess the situation and create fear, sending distress signal to the hypothalamus 

• hippocampus helps the person remember to try and avoid the situation again'

• hypothalamus initiates the autonomic nervous system response (fight or flight)

describe how the hippocampus and the amygdala work together to help you remember emotional events

• amygdala becomes highly active when an event is highly emotional

• amygdala sends a signal to the hippocampus that the event is important and it should remember it

• hippocampus strenghtnes the neural pathways associated with the memory which makes it more likely to be stored permanently

why might damage to the hippocampus affect a person’s ability to form new memories

• damage may cause it to shrink which makes it harder to form new memories and remember long term one

• recent memories are more easily lost

• radioactive waves

• dye in bloodstream to find infections, tumors, etc

• show how organs and tissues are functioning

PET scan

• magnetic field 

• spinal cord injury, breast cancer, arthritis 

• soft tissue

MRI

• x ray

• images of the body

• blood clots, kidney stones, fractures

• internal bleeding, bone issues

CAT