7124 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Nucleus Accumbens, Basal Ganglia, Orbitofrontal Cortex
21 Jun 2018
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Lecture 3
The motivated and emotional brain
- The motivated and emotional brain
oThe brain is not only a thinking brain, it is also the center of motivation and emotion
Thinking brain: cognitive and intellectual functions
“what task it is doing”
Motivated brain
“whether you want to do it
Emotional brain
“what your mood is while doing it”
Much more primitive
- Principles in motivational and emotional brain research
oSpecific brain structures generate specific motivational states
Eg hypothalamus – hunger
Damage can cause starvation OR never stop eating
Not the whole explanation of hunger
oBiochemical agents stimulate these brain structures
Eg ghrelin – bloodstream – hypothalamus
Little messengers that activate different organs and parts of the brain
Hormones and neurotransmitters
oDay to day events stir biochemical agents into action
Eg dieting and sleep deprivation – increases ghrelin and decreases leptin
- The motivated brain: food deprivation
oFood deprivation activates the ghrelin release that stimulates the hypothalamus to
create hunger
Environmental agent: food deprivation
Biochemical agent: ghrelin (a hormone) produced and circulated in the
bloodstream
Brain structure: ghrelin stimulates hypothalamus
Aroused motivation: stimulated hypothalamus creates the psychological
experience of hunger
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- The emotional brain: positive affect
oGood events activate dopamine release that stimulates positive affect
o
- Looking inside the brain
o
oReptilian: spinal cord, brain stem
Basic requirements for life: eating, drinking, sleeping, detecting danger
oLimbic structures: under cortex, emotional and motivational centre
Hypothalamus amygdala,
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oPrefrontal cortex
Ability to think consciously
- Motivational and emotional states associated with brain structures: sub cortical
o
- Reticular formation
oRegulates arousal and sleep/waking cycle
oIntermeshed neural networks throughout the brain stem
oAscending (alerts and arouses cortex) and descending parts (regulates muscle tone)
- Amygdala
oInterconnected nuclei which respond to threatening and emotionally significant
events
Eg anger, fear, anxiety = each served by different nuclei
oImpairments
Tameness, affective neutrality, lack of emotion responsiveness, preference
for social isolation, willing to face threatening stimuli, impaired ability to
learn what is frightening
oInvolved in perception of others emotions, facial expression, and our mood,
especially negative emotionality
oStimulation activates neighbouring structures
Eg hypothalamus and release of neurotransmitters
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
The motivated and emotional brain: the brain is not only a thinking brain, it is also the center of motivation and emotion. Principles in motivational and emotional brain research: specific brain structures generate specific motivational states. Damage can cause starvation or never stop eating. Not the whole explanation of hunger: biochemical agents stimulate these brain structures. Little messengers that activate different organs and parts of the brain. Hormones and neurotransmitters: day to day events stir biochemical agents into action. Eg dieting and sleep deprivation increases ghrelin and decreases leptin. The motivated brain: food deprivation: food deprivation activates the ghrelin release that stimulates the hypothalamus to create hunger. Biochemical agent: ghrelin (a hormone) produced and circulated in the bloodstream. Aroused motivation: stimulated hypothalamus creates the psychological experience of hunger. The emotional brain: positive affect: good events activate dopamine release that stimulates positive affect o. Looking inside the brain o: reptilian: spinal cord, brain stem.
