PSYC18H3 Lecture Notes - Somatic Marker Hypothesis, Dither, Antonio Damasio
Document Summary
James argued that you would be left with a purely intellectual state. Neural signals from the cortex communicate with the limbic system and the hypothalamus. Most general function is to maintain the internal condition of the body, to enable adaptive response to varying environmental events. Parasympathetic brach helps with restorative processes, reducing heart rate and blood pressure and increasing digestive processes. Sympathetic branch increase heartrate, blood pressure, shuts down digestive processes to help individual engage in physically demanding actions. Maintains inner environment of body by controling digestion, body fluids, blood flow and temperature. The parasympathetic and sympathetic branches: parasympathetic: incorporates nerves that originate in two different parts of the spinal cord: vagus nerve (top of spinal cord) and in the sacral region (bottom of spinal cord) Essential to sexual response: sympathetic system: a dozen different neural pathways originating at several sites on the spinal cord. Increases heart rate abd blood pressure, shuts down digestive system.
