PSK171 STRESS MANAGEMENT Controlling Stress & Tension Girdano, Dusek & Everly Chapter 2 Systems that control stress arousal

Ligands  Ligands (amino acid molecules)  Biochemicals that carry information  Neurohormones The smallest molecules (norepinephrine, acetylcholine)  Steroids Sex hormones, cortisol  Peptides The largest group of ligands (95 %) and involved in all life processes

Receptors  Located on the surface membrane  When a specific ligand communicates with the receptor, a message is sent to interior of the cell  This message may iniate or halt production of an enzyme, cause cell to more or less permeable, or initiate one of the functions of that cell

Neuroplasticity  Ability of brain to continually change as a result of experiences  A violinist - areas of brain that control movement of fingers grow in size  Meditation – more practice produces stronger changes

Basic systems  Central Nervous System (CNS)  Brain, brain stem and spinal cord Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) Somatic Nervous System (SNS) Voluntary actions  Endocrine system  Pituitary gland (hipofiz bezi)  Adrenal glands (böbreküstü bezleri)  Immune system

Autonomic Nervous System  Autonomic functions  Heart rate, body temperature, respiration…  Sympathetic NS  Alarm response and energyzing body  Fight-or-flight Epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamin This response facilitated by hormones of endocrine system, CNS and various peptides  Parasympathetic NS  Revert the systems to normal, calm down the body

Autonomic Nervous System  The lower-brain structures of ANS respond to physical world and are reflexive  Spinal cord (omurilik)  Cerebellum (muscle coordination)  Medulla oblangata (heart rate, circulation of blood, respiration, coughing, sneezing)  Pons (a network that sends nerve impulses to various parts of brain)  Thalamus (sends incoming signals to related brain areas)  Hypothalamus and reticular formation

Hypothalamus  Integrator of body’s regulatory systems  Hunger, thirst, blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, sex drive  Receives physical messages and responds on a physcial level  New or threatening messages > alarm reaction  When threat abates of new stimulus is integrated > calming mesages are sent through parasympathetic NS

The Limbic System  Pleasure and unpleasure centers  Reward and punishment  Integrates cognitive appraisal (from prefrontal cortex) with emotions  Amygdala and hippocampus  Emotion  Amygdala > detection and experience of fear  Hippocampus > regulates emotional responses for context

Cerebral Cortex  Also called neocortex or forebrain  Responsible for higher-order functions Analytical skills Writing skills Verbal communication Fine motor control Problem solving Learning Decision making Judgement …

Cerebral Cortex  Frontal lobe is very important in higher-order functions  Blood flow in these areas regulated by emotional peptides which signal receptors on blood wessel walls to constrict or dilate and influence nourishment of cells  If emotions are bolcked? Blood flow can become restricted Deprivation in nourishment of frontal cortex The time between strong emotions and recovery from them Therefore, strong emotions can leave a person out of touch with reality and diminish ability to make rational decisions. A long-term result > repeating old patterns and not responsing to outer world in a rational manner

The Reward System  Major reward areas are located at the limbic system and hypothalamus  Avoiding from adversity and approaching to pleasure/reward  The reward systems regulate the basic drives related to  Pleasure  Pain  Emotional comfort  Sexual satisfaction  Hunger  Satiety  Thirst  Endorphin

The Reticular Formation  Carries information from body to brain and brain to body  Allows us to be prepared after detection of new stimuli  Under prolonged stress Reticular Activating System stays aroused

Endocrine System  Consists of glands and hormones  Endocrine siystems is connected to  Amygdala  Hippocampus  Frontal lobes  Limbic system activates the hypothalic-pituitary- adrenal axis  Which causes secretion of neurohormones epinephrine and norepinephrine and cortisol from adrenal glands

The Pituitary Gland  Strongly related to activity of hypothalamus  If parts of hypothalamus are stumulated, it stimulates pituitary gland  Hypothalamus produces hormon-releasing factors  These factors are released and stimulate pituitary gland and hormones are released  Thoughts, anticipitations and nervous system responses can cause hormonal activity

The Adrenal Glands  Responsible for the most of the physical manifestation of stress arousal such as increased heart rate and respiration  Two adrenal glands located over each kidney  Adrenal medulla  Adrenal cortex

The Adrenal Glands  Hypothalamus  releases hormone-releasing factor  Pituitary gland  releases Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)  Adrenal cortex  secretes hormones into the blood such as cortisol and aldosterone