emotional facial expressions ◦ evolutionary explanation

emotional facial expressions◦ evolutionary explanation


role of right hemisphere


role of right hemisphere◦ recognition of emotion

brain damage – functional imaging studies

◦ display of emotions brain damage functional imaging studies

◦ chimera

Chimeras of chimps in various moods

left side of face even shows emotion sooner than right side

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007


role of right hemisphere◦ recognition of emotion ◦ display of emotions◦ chimera

brain damaged humans

limbic system- ◦ components of limbic system- includes

hypothalamus, hippocampus, amygdala, olfactory bulbs, septum

sits within the temporal lobe◦ temporal lobe epilepsy

What is it?◦ stress is the nonspecific response of the body to

any demand placed on it

What are some of the variables that contribute to how we respond to stress?

1. Sympathetic Nervous system

◦ activates adrenal glands to release E, NE, and other catecholamines into blood

perhaps………

Physiological measures of arousal

lie detector tests

Are there problems with these tests?

2. HPA Axis - (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) axis

causes the release of “stress” hormones(corticosteroids)

cortisol - in humanscorticosterone - in rats

negative feedback loop

(hypothalamus)

Overactivation of either system can have negativeconsequences

real illnesses that are exacerbated by stress-◦ these can be potentially life threatening

ulcers

heart disease

asthma

various skin conditions -

Behavioral medicine

Psychoneuroimmunology

Sapolsky◦ vervet monkeys - 1989

Eight vervet monkeys, housed in a primate center in Kenya, diedspontaneously from 1964 to 1966, were found at necropsy to have multiple gastric ulcers; a retrospective, neuropathological study was then done of this opportunistic population.

Compared with controls euthanized for other research purposes, ulcerated monkeys had marked hippocampal degeneration that was apparent both quantitatively and qualitatively, and both ultrastructurally and on the light-microscopic level. Minimal damage occurred outside the hippocampus.

Sapolsky

◦ vervet monkeys - 1989 gastric ulcers, overactive adrenal gland,

degeneration and depletion of hippocampal neurons

Cushings Syndrome -◦ increased glucocorticoid release (can be reversed

with treatment) PTSD -

Depressed patients

Increased cortisol or corticosterone◦ increase Ca+2 influx

increased risk of overexcitation

Rat studies -

Yes- clinical data and animal studies

Chronic stress situations◦ examples:

Is this associated with increased susceptibility to disease?

Chronic stress affectsimmune response in terms of illness incidenceand recovery

Segerstrom

Segerstrom◦ law students during their first semester◦ optimism associated with

increased n of helper T cells increased natural killer cell activity

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emotional facial expressions ◦ evolutionary explanation