Upload
ralph-shelton
View
221
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Autonomic Nervous System
Neuropsychology of emotion:
From Behavior to Biology (reductionism) From Normal to Abnormal (psychiatry) From Conscious to Unconscious (measures) From Animal to Human (manipulations)
The working of the mind Western culture has pivoted around the arts. Film
directors are cool… Culture of Science has traditionally accepted the smartest
students … Neuroscientists are cool… Recently a third culture emerged, call it Nerd culture of
technology, and Nerds became cool…
Artists would contemplate about the mind… Scientists would measure and test the mind… Nerds would settle the ‘how the brain works’ by
manufacturing a working mind.
(Kevin Kellay, Essays in Science and Society. Science, 1998).
Emotion: Art & Science
From artist’s (Marquez) understanding of love….
To psychologist understanding of aging.
Lancet 1997, v. 350: 1169-72.
Venus of Milo was admired by art lovers.
More than 250 scientific papers discussed the statue (scoliosis ??).
Emotion: Art & Science
Emotion & Nerds
Happy memories wrapped in a silicon chip.
Anatomy as a starting point of Nerds’ adventure
Ghez & Tach, 2000
Cerebellar anatomy
Cerebellar simulation (Working environment IQR421)
Sensors/Preprocessing
Behavior
Output
Emotions
Memory/Learning
Output
Simulation of anatomy to revealbrain functions
Rodney A. Brooks- MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory
Emotional companions
Communication of emotion
Communication of emotion has survival value for the species (Darwin).
Mechanistic approach to emotional brain
ComputationInputs: Genetically defined US’s Experience defined CS’s Thoughts & Memories
Outputs: Feelings Autonomic Facial Actions Cognitive
Emotion as an integrative response
Psychological perspective:
Subjective feelings (introspection). Internal body responses (sensations-
emotions) including autonomic. Cognitive associations (causality+simulation). Facial expressions (genetic). Action tendencies.
Functions of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) (Squire et al., 2003)
Controls online the homeostasis of body’s physiology: blood chemistry, respiration, circulation, digestion, immune…
Innervates smooth muscles & many tissues. Cannon (1939) referred to the “Wisdom of the body”. Autonomic: automatic, involuntary, visceral. Sympathetic: sympathy, coordination between organs.
: subserves the “sympathies”, or emotions. Parasympathetic: only recently discovered. Example: Postural hypothension in dysautonomia.
ANS & consciousness
No conscious experience of autonomic reflexes.
Imagine the confusion if cognitive system would be in charge (Thomas, 1974).
No experience of deficit as ANS responses are: initiated rapidly. initiated in anticipation. coordinated with somatic nervous system.
Para/pre-vertebral ganglia
Spine Preganglionic Postganglionic Target
SNS
1- preganglionic neuron2- spinal nerve4- symp. ganglia6- autonomic n.7- 8- prevertebral ganglia9- terminal ganglia
Brainstem Preganglionic (III, VII, IX, X-vagal) Spine Near the target
PSNS
SNS & PSNS pre- and postganglionic levels
Compared with skeletal motor system, the extra synapse at peripheral ganglia allows:
More divergence: from single spinal segment to several ganglia; from single ganglia to organs; SNS > PSNS).
Local integration: Sup. Cervical ganglion innervates eyes, salivary & lacrimal glands, blood vessels; ganglia receives sensory afferents form the target organ; PSNS>SNS.
Autonomic reflex arc at the
spinal level
SNS - thoracolumbar
Functions during inactivity:
tonic homeostatic balance. Functions during Fight-or-Flight:
optimal tuning of peripheral organs.
synergy of adjustments.
fast response.
Arousal and Homeostasis
Homeostasis:
Maintaining a single level of adaptive arousal
Arousal and Allostasis
Allostasis rather than homeostasis:
Stable level of arousal is not adaptive
Allostasis and Performance
Allostasis: maintaining stability of performance through change of arousal, as a fundamental process by which organisms actively adjust to both predictable and unpredictable events.
i.e., stay maximally adaptive by changing the arousal
Allostatic overload being a state in which serious pathophysiology can occur.
Allostasis and Poor Performance
Allostasis:
Catastrophic conditions are possible
PSNS
Rest & digest vs. f & f.
Anabolic vs. catabolic.
End of autonomous system