LeDoux's Two-System Model of Emotions

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Questions and Answers

What is a characteristic of patients with anxiety disorders regarding the dual pathway?

Increased top-down regulation in the mPFC and ACC

Weakened medial cortical areas down regulation in the amygdala (correct)

Enhanced cortical regulation of the amygdala

Reduced subcortical system contribution to anxiety

What is the role of the subcortical system in anxiety disorders?

Uncouples fear responses

Inhibits fear responses

Regulates anxiety responses

Contributes to anxiety and fear responses (correct)

What is the effect of PTSD on the amygdala?

Uncouples the amygdala

Hypoactivity of the amygdala

Hyperactivity of the amygdala (correct)

No effect on the amygdala

What is the effect of conditioned emotion/fear response in anxiety disorder patients?

Increases fear responses Signup and view all the answers

What is the goal of exposure-based therapy in treating anxiety disorders?

To extinguish fear responses Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect of hyporeactivity of the cortical circuit in anxiety disorder patients?

Reduces top-down control of fear responses Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect of hyperreactivity of the amygdala in anxiety disorder patients?

Increases fear responses Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of pharmacological treatment in anxiety disorder treatment?

Facilitates exposure-based therapy Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the subcortical areas, such as the amygdala, in the two-system model?

Controlling behavior and physiological responses Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of the amygdala in emotion, specifically in social signals?

Processing faces and social stimuli Signup and view all the answers

Why is fear not what causes threat responses, according to LeDoux's model?

Because the amygdala can activate defensive responses without conscious perception of threat Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of the cortical pathway in generating fear, according to LeDoux's model?

It generates fear responses independently of the amygdala Signup and view all the answers

What is the Papez circuit, and what is its role in emotion?

A circuit that includes the thalamus, hypothalamus, anterior thalamus, and cingulate cortex, responsible for generating emotions Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of the amygdala and BNST in threat responses?

They activate the fear network, which includes the insula and ACC Signup and view all the answers

What is the implication of LeDoux's two-system model for anxiety disorders?

That anxiety disorders involve abnormalities in both the cortical and subcortical pathways Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between the two-system model and the conscious perception of fear?

The two-system model suggests that fear can be a conscious or unconscious experience Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

LeDoux's Two-System Model of Emotion

The two-system model proposes that emotions are processed through two separate pathways: a subconscious system controlling behavior and physiological responses, and a conscious system generating subjective feelings of fear and anxiety.

The First System: Subcortical Areas

The subcortical areas, including the amygdala, regulate the subconscious system, controlling behavior and physiological responses to emotional stimuli.

The Second System: Cortical Areas

The cortical areas, including the prefrontal cortex, are responsible for the conscious system, generating subjective feelings of fear and anxiety through the integration of signals from the subconscious system.

The Role of the Amygdala in Emotion

The amygdala plays a crucial role in processing social signals, fear conditioning, and memory consolidation.
It processes faces and social stimuli to generate emotional responses.
The amygdala is responsible for fear conditioning, associating stimuli with fear responses.
It helps consolidate memories into long-term emotional memories.

Implicit Processes Underlying Conscious Emotional Experiences

Fear is not necessarily caused by the conscious perception of threat, as the amygdala can activate defensive responses without conscious awareness.
The fear network, including the amygdala, insula, and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), can generate fear responses independently of conscious perception.

People Without an Amygdala Still Feeling Fear

The cortical pathway, including the thalamus, hypothalamus, anterior thalamus, and cingulate cortex, can also generate emotions, including fear, in the absence of the amygdala.

The Dual Pathway and Anxiety Disorders

The dual pathway is connected to anxiety disorders, as patients with anxiety disorders exhibit exaggerated amygdala activation and weakened medial cortical down-regulation.
The subcortical system can also contribute to anxiety or fear disorders.

The Role of the Dual Pathway in Anxiety Disorders

In anxiety disorders, the amygdala is hyperactive, leading to exaggerated fear responses.
The medial cortical areas, including the prefrontal cortex, exhibit reduced top-down regulation, exacerbating the fear response.
Neuroimaging studies have shown hyperactive amygdala, fear learning associated with the ACC, and emotional processing with the insula in patients with anxiety disorders.

Figure Explanation: Amygdala Responsiveness in PTSD Patients

PTSD patients exhibit enhanced amygdala responsiveness to negative pictures compared to trauma-exposed individuals without PTSD.
This hyperreactivity leads to increased fear experiences and reduced top-down control for the inhibition of fear responses.

Conditioned Emotion/Fear Response in Anxiety Disorders

Conditioned fear responses can be involved in anxiety disorders, as a previously neutral stimulus can elicit a fear response through classical conditioning.
Anxiety disorder patients have hyperreactivity of the amygdala, leading to exaggerated fear responses to stimuli.
Treatment methods, such as exposure-based therapy or pharmacological treatment, can help extinguish fear responses and reduce anxiety symptoms.

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Description

Understand the two-brain pathways model by LeDoux, featuring the subconscious and conscious systems regulating emotions and behavior. Learn how the amygdala and cortical areas interact to produce fear, anxiety, and subjective feelings.