Rare genetic disorder that primarily affects the amygdala. Can cause “fearlessness.”
Urbach Wiethe Disease
Disorder due to lesions affecting the temporal lobe; primarily affecting fear.
Kluver-Bucy Syndrome
Oxytocin
Reduces anxiety and fear response
Arc of brain tissue wrapped around the corpus callosum that is a part of the limbic system and is linked to emotion, learning, and memory.
Cingulate Cortex
Thin band of white matter that connects the amygdala to the hypothalamus and septal area. Involved in emotional regulation (stress/fear) and autonomic and neuroendocrine functions (HR, BP, hormone)
Stria Terminalis
Thin layer of gray matter making up the outer portion of the brain; manages executive functions.
Frontal Cortex
Brain’s intricate system for processing smell. Includes the olfactory bulb and olfactory cortex. It has connections to the limbic system AND hippocampus. The entire reason smells can trigger emotions and memory recall.
Olfactory Complex
Central part of the brain that acts as a relay station for sensory AND motor skills.
Thalamus
Narrow c-shaped tissue important in memory formation
Hippocampus
Thick band of nerve fibers that exist between the two-halves of the brain. Responsible for information exchange between the halves.
Corpus Callosum
The command center for fear. Activates fight or flight/the stress response. Involved in sadness, mood regulation and the internal clock.
Hypothalamus
Two small round structures in the hypothalamus. Responsible for hormone regulation, emotional regulation, and memory consolidation.
Mammillary Bodies
Small cluster of neurons in the temporal lobes. Responsible for detecting and responding to potential threats. Triggers fight or flight and releases adrenaline and cortisol.
Amygdala
Interconnected brain structures that help regulate emotions and behavior
Limbic System
Surgical intervention that involves implanting a device into the brain and emitting electrical impulses
Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)
Corrosive, toxic, and explosive substance that contains Hydrazine that eventually became a treatment for depression (initially started as a TB treatment)
Iproniazid
Extremely severe type of depression; characterized by an inability to experience pleasure, problems with sleep, feelings of worthlessness, irrational guilt, and suicidal thoughts.
Major Depressive Disorder
Proposes that depression is caused by an imbalance of serotonin in the brain
Serotonin Hypothesis
Involves a transporter (in the membrane of the presynaptic neuron) that attracts neurotransmitter molecules and transports them BACK up into the neuron that released them
Reuptake
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor that is used to treat depression by increasing levels of serotonin in the brain
SSRI
Hormone produced by adrenal glands that plays a crucial role in the body’s stress response
Cortisol
In the anterior portion of the brain, beneath the corpus callosum. Crucial in regulating emotions; particularly negative emotions (fear, sadness, depression)
Subgenual Cingulate Cortex
