PSYD33H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Telomere, Neurotransmitter, Cardiovascular Disease
Document Summary
Lecture #5 neurobiology of stress/stress & health (contd. ) Neurobiology of stress: when stressed, the body begins shutting down all non-essential systems, including the immune system. When the immune system is shut down, the body"s ability to heal itself is disrupted: the hippocampus is responsible for learning and memory. Chronic stress can change brain circuits so that one loses the capacity to remember things as he/she needs to/things he/she knows perfectly well: pleasure is linked to the chemistry of the brain. When dopamine is released, it binds to receptors and signals pleasure: as we age, our telomeres shorten. The lengths of telomeres directly relate to the amount of stress somebody is under and the amount of years he/she is under the stress: stress can change the way you deposit fat in your body. Fat brought on by stress is dangerous fat. A dominant monkey"s arteries are clean, whereas a subordinate monkey"s arteries are blocked.
