FACULTY OF MEDICINE

BMD 2129

LECTURE # PL12
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

Physiology of Emotion
DR NASRIN HABIB

Learning outcome

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Describe the functional

anatomy of limbic system

Components of limbic system

Describe the significance

main limbic system circuit

Describe the functions of

limbic system

Significance of limbic system circuits

Papez circuit
Basolateral circuit

Functions of limbic system

Control of visceral functions & responses
Perception of smell
Emotional exteriorization
Mental components
Cognition
Affect
Conation
Physical components
Autonomic effects
Endocrinal responses

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What is an emotion?
An emotion is a complex psychological
state that involves three distinct
components:
Three aspects of emotion
Anatomical
Physiological Bases For Emotion
Emotional behaviour
inner emotions
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Limbic system/
limbic lobe
Definition of LS/LL
1. Parts of the brain : A rim of cortical
tissue around the hilum of the cerebral
hemisphere
2. A group of associated deep
structures Amygdala
Hippocampus
Septal nuclei
3. Its neuronal circuitry controls
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emotional behaviour
and motivational

Components of limbic system

Paleocortex that surrounds a group of deep
structures
Limbic cortex ring of cerebral cortex: it has 2
ways communication with neocortex
Hypothalamus
Subcortical structures of the limbic system
o
Septum
o
Paraolfactory area
o
Anterior nucleus of the thalamus
o
Portions of the basal ganglia
o
Hippocampus
o
Amygdala27.05.2015

Anatomy of the limbic

system

Limbic system, showing the

key position of the
hypothalamus.
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Histology
The limbic cortex is the oldest part of the
cerebral cortex.
Allocortex: Limbic cortex has only three layers
surrounds
the hilum of the hemisphere
Juxtallocortex : Between the allocortex and the
neocortex.
It has three to six layers
Neocortex: Nonlimbic portions of the
hemisphere
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has six layers most highly

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Limbic system
Limbic system = emotional nervous system
Higher mental functions, such as learning and formation of
memories
Structures of limbic system include:
The Hippocampus
The Amygdala
The Thalamus
The Hypothalamus
The Fornix and Parahippocampus
The Cingulate Gyrus

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Evidences for limbic

system functions
Stimulation
experiments
Ablation
experiments
Clinical conditions

Technique for localizing reward or

approach system and punishment
centres or avoidance system in
the brain of a monkey.

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Effects of Stimulation of
Amygdala
Autonomic responses
Secretion of gonadotropins & ACTH
Involuntary movements: tonic, clonic
Chewing, eating licking
Rage , fear
Escape, punishment
Reward and pleasure
Sexual activities

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Stimulation experiments:
Stimulation of the hypothalamus and the amygdaloid nuclei
produce fear
Ablation experiments:
After destruction of the amygdalas, the fear reaction and its
autonomic and endocrine manifestations are absent
Clinical conditions :
After bilateral temporal lobectomy, monkeys approach snakes
without fear, pick them up, and even eat them.
Lesion in amygdala causes hyperphagia (feeding
behaviour),cannot differentiate edible inedible things
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Continue
Stimulation of different areas in the hippocampus can cause almost
any of the different behavioural patterns such as pleasure, rage,
passivity, or excess sex drive
Bilateral removal of hippocampus-inability to learn

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Motivation
Forebrain neurons in the ventral tegmental area and nucleus
acumbens are thought to be involved in motivated behaviors such
as reward, laughter, pleasure, addiction, and fear.

Behaviour is motivated
by reduction or prevention of an unpleasant
affect
by primary rewards

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Addiction:
Addiction, defined as the repeated compulsive use of a
substance despite negative consequences
Addiction is associated with the reward system,
Nucleus Accumbens
Mesocortical dopaminergic neurons that project from
the midbrain to this nucleus and the frontal cortex

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Ablation of the Anterior Temporal Cortex.

Ablation of the Anterior Temporal Cortex.

Klver-Bucy syndrome:
Is not afraid of anything
has extreme curiosity about everything
forgets rapidly
has a tendency to place everything in its mouth and sometimes
even tries to eat solid objects
often has a sex drive so strong that it attempts to copulate with
immature animals, animals of the wrong sex

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CONTINUE
Ablation of the Posterior Orbital Frontal Cortex
Insomnia
Intense Motor Restlessness
Becoming Unable To Sit Still
Moving about continuously

Ablation of the Anterior Cingulate Gyri and Subcallosal Gyri.

Destruction of these gyri bilaterally releases the rage centres of the
septum and hypothalamus from prefrontal inhibitory influence.

The animal can become harmful &subject to fits of rage

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Clinical correlates
Rage attacks in response to minor
stimuli
Damage to the base of the brain
pituitary surgery
Destruction of neurons in the limbic
system and hypothalamus.
Number of diseases of the nervous
system, especially epidemic influenza
and encephalitis,
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Afferent
2.Autonom
ic
SP cord
afferents
and brain
stem
Hypothalamus

3.
Sensations
Somatic
Visceral
Smell
Taste
Visual

Connections
1.Reticular
formation
Limbi
c
syste
m
Hippocampus

Efferent
Autonomic
centres in
the brain
stem
Hypothalamus

Anterior
nucleus of
thalamus

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Characteristic features of limbic system

Very few connections between LS and neocortex

Neocortical activity does modify emotional behaviour and vice
versa
Limbic circuits have prolonged after-discharge
Emotional effects cannot be turned on and off at will

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Functions of Limbic system

Control of visceral functions and autonomic
responses
Perception of smell
Emotional exteriorization
Mental component
o Cognition
o Affect
o Conation
Physical component
o Autonomic
o Somatic
o Endocrinal
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Functions of Limbic system

Motivation
Behavioural responses (Amygdaloid)
Sexual behaviour
Maternal behaviour
Feeding behaviour
Memory and learning
Biological rhythms ( with hypothalamus)

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Structures involved in genesis of

emotions and integration of autonomic
and somatic reactions with emotion
Limbic system
Hypothalamus
Cortical structures
Prefrontal cortex
Orbito insulo temporal cortex
Cingulate cortex
Thalamus
Reticular formation

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Principal connections of the limbic system

Papez circuit
( anatomic closed
circuit)
Anterior nuclei
Mammillary
body

of thalamus

Mammillo thalamic
tract

Forni
x
Hippocampu
s

cingulate
cortex

Hippocampal system
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Papez circuit
Papez circuit is anatomic closed circuit of the
limbic system tends to produce prolonged effect,
long after the end of sensory experience.

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Characteristics of emotion
Cognition
Affect
Conation
Expression/Physical changes
Emotional effects outlast the stimulus
Emotional effects cannot be switched
on /off at will

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Emotional
Exteriorization
Mental
compon
ent
Cognitio
n
Awareness
of a
sensation &
its cause

Affect
Feeling that
the
sensation
produces
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Conation
Urge to
take
suitable
action

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Physical
component

Autonomic
Fright : Tachycardia
Cutaneous
vasoconstriction ,
cold sweat, pupillary
dilatation ,dryness of
mouth
Grief: tears, nasal
secretions , Muscle
tone, slow
movements

Somatic
Skeletal
muscle

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Endocrinal
Cortisol
Sympatho
-adrenal
system
activation

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Feeling

Sensory
cortex

Cingulate
cortex
Hippocamp
us

Anterior
thalamus

Thalamu
s

Hypothalam
us

Emotional
stimulus

Body
response
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Drugs affecting Behaviour and emotions

Hallucinogens: e.g. LSD (lysergic acid

diethylamide)
produce euphoria
and
distorted sensory
perception
Anti-depressants: erg. Imipramine
Tranquillizers: e.g. Valium, Opium, cannabis
,
barbiturates
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Main Reference / Additional Reference:

Guyton &Hall. Textbook of physiology
Medical physiology by RK Marya

Review Of Medical Physiology 23rd Ed.William Ganong

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