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Chapter 10: Limbic System Hippocampus

Limbic System  plays a key role in forming memories


 set of structures in the brain and many of those  helps to convert short term memory into long-
structures play an important role in regulating term memory
emotion.  these memories can evoke emotions
 Regulating the ANS and does this by controlling  important structure in forming long-term
the endocrine system by triggering the release memories
of hormones in the bloodstream.  damage to this area, have difficulty forming
 Hormones such as epinephrine, norepinephrine. new memories. Everything experiences basically
 Involved in regulating in hunger, thirst, sleep fades away. Hippocampus is destroyed so
sex. cannot form new memory although still have
 Four most important components of Limbic long-term memory intact. Long term memory
System in Emotions. HAT-Hippo functions just fine.
Hypothalamus  Learning memory system of brain
 “Hypo”- below the thalamus  Plays a role in emotional memory.
 Very tiny structure  Emotional aspects of life are stored better
 So small that it makes up less than 1% of the because of association of amygdala and
total volume of the brain. About the size of a hippocampus.
kidney bean.
 Emotion function- regulating the autonomic
system (ANS)  Limbic system structures sit on top of the brain
- Fight or Flight vs. Rest and Digest stem.
- Adrenaline hormone is regulated by the
hypothalamus.
Amygdala
 a.k.a aggression center
 Stimulation of this area can produce
anger/violence as well as fear/anxiety
 Destruction of amygdala can cause a mellow
effect
 Mellow effect noted by Kluver-Busy
 Bilateral destruction of amygdala= hyperorality,
hypersexuality and disinhibited behavior.
 Benzodiazepines (Benzos)- function
pharmacologically like alcohol.
Thalamus
 function as a like a sensory relay station.
 See
 Hear
 Taste
 Touch
 Directs these senses to its appropriate area in
the cortex and other parts of the brain.
 Sense of smell is the only sense that bypasses
the thalamus. Has own private relay stations.
 Emotions are very contingent on the things see,
touch and hear.
12.6 Functional Brain System 2. Septal nuclei
LIMBIC SYSTEM  subcortical nuclei initially implicated by
 Networks of neurons that work together but early ablation and stimulation studies in the
span wide areas of brain. regulation of emotional responsiveness
 Interacts with PREFRONTAL LOBES
such as rage behavior.
o Allows us to react emotionally to things
we consciously understand to be  appear to play a role in emotional
happening behaviors, sexual behavior, aggressive
o Makes us consciously aware of behavior, modulation of autonomic
emotional richness in our lives. functions, and attention and memory
o HIPPOCAMPUS and AMYGDALOID BODY functions (from the cholinergic neurons).
also play a role in memory. 3. Amygdaloid body/Amygdala
Limbic System  recognizes angry or fearful facial expressions,
 Structures on medial aspects of cerebral assesses danger, and elicits fear response;
hemispheres and diencephalon  memories from a fearful or threatening
 FORNIX situation plays an important role with mediating
o fiber tract that links limbic system these emotional responses
regions  plays a role in emotional memory
o a lot of white matter connecting large 4. Hippocampus
portions of  Learning and memory center of the brain
 AMYGDALOID BODY  Also plays a role in emotional memory
o recognizes angry or fearful facial  Emotional aspects of our life are stored better
expressions, assess danger and elicits because of the association of the amygdala with
fear response. the hippocampus
 CINGULATE GYRUS 5. Dentate gyrus
o plays role in expressing emotions via  part of a brain region known as the
gestures and resolves mental conflict. hippocampus (part of the hippocampal
formation).
 thought to contribute to the formation of new
episodic memories, the spontaneous
exploration of novel environments, and other
functions.
6. Parahippocampal gyrus
 grey matter cortical region of the brain that
surrounds the hippocampus and is part of the
limbic system.
 plays an important role in memory encoding
and retrieval.
Diencephalic structures of the Limbic System
1. Anterior Thalamic Nuclei (flanking 3rd ventricle)
Cerebral Structures of the Limbic System 2. Hypothalamus
 Plays a role in different functions like learning  Involved with the visceral responses to emotion
and memory but also plays a role in the limbic 3. Mammillary Body
system as well  Part of the olfactory bulb
1. Cingulate gyrus  Olfactory Bulb – transmit information straight
 plays a role in expressing emotions via gestures back to structures to areas that are not only
and resolves internal conflict involved in the conscious perception of odor
but also as part of the limbic system
 Smells and Emotions are intimately linked
Fiber tracts connecting Limbic System Structures
 Plays an important role in connecting all the
brain regions to allow emotional processing
1. Fornix - Fiber tracts that link the limbic system
regions
2. Anterior commissure - Anterior most part of the
corpus callosum
Reticular Formation
 Extends through central core of brainstem
 Reticular activating system (RAS)
o Sends impulses to cerebral cortex to
keep it conscious and alert
o Filters out repetitive, familiar or weak
stimuli (pp% of all stimuli is not relayed
to consciousness)
o Inhibited by sleep centers, alcohol,
drugs
o Severe injury can result in permanent
unconsciousness (coma)

FIGURE 1 EXPLANATION
 Look at the RAS of a person to determine the
coma (unconscious) state of a person.
 Ascending inputs: info from spinals cord, visual
info from retina ascends to the thalamus
 Thalamus (part of RAS) same with different
nuclei in the brainstem.
 Reticular formation structures in Pons, medulla
oblongata and midbrain transmit info to the
thalamus which relays it to cortices
(somatosensory, visual etc.)
 RAS is involved with filtering out information, it
plays a very important role with attention.
 RAS helps you focus on a very specific thing
 If RAS is less active, it does not send info to cortex
which is also important for sleep.
FIGURE 1 CROSS SECTION OF THE BRAIN

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