PSYC 3307 Study Guide - Final Guide: Thalamus, Facial Nerve Paralysis, Startle Response

• School: Carleton University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 3307
• Professor: Brian Tansley

Document Summary

Connects emotional and motivational significance to sensory inputs during conditioning. Receives input the medial division of the medial geniculate body of the thalamus. Electrical stimulation of the amygdala produces fear experiences. Disinhibits behaviours normally avoided in fear-evoking situations. Produces a tame animal with little fear. Impaired ability to interpret emotional aspect of facial expression. Autonomic arousal (rapid heartbeat, raised blood pressure) Somatic reflex potentiation (i. e. exaggerated startle reflex) Pituitary-adrenal axis stimulation (production of stress hormones: amygdala involved in aggression. When the posterior hypothalamus was also removed, sham rage vanished. Posterior hypothalamus is important for aggression and is normally inhibited by neocortex. Stimulation of medial hypothalamus leads to affective aggression - hiss and spit at mouse. Stimulation of lateral hypothalamus leads to predatory aggression - quietly and quickly bite mouse. Blocking/reducing the release of serotonin may increase aggressive behavior. I. e. when gene for serotonin receptors are removed in mice, they become more aggressive under certain circumstances.