Autonomic Nervous System Neuropsychology of emotion q q

Autonomic Nervous System Neuropsychology of emotion: q q 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 q q q 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.

Emotion: Art & Science Venus of Milo was admired by art lovers. More than 250 scientific papers discussed the statue (scoliosis ? ? ).

Emotion & Nerds Happy memories wrapped in a silicon chip.

Anatomy as a starting point of Nerds’ adventure Cerebellar anatomy Ghez & Tach, 2000

Simulation of anatomy to reveal brain functions Cerebellar simulation Memory/Learning Sensors/Preprocessing (Working environment IQR 421) Output Behavior Output Emotions

Emotional companions Rodney A. Brooks- MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory

Communication of emotion has survival value for the species (Darwin).

Mechanistic approach to emotional brain Computation Inputs: q Genetically defined US’s q Experience defined CS’s q Thoughts & Memories Outputs: q Feelings q Autonomic q Facial q Actions q Cognitive

Emotion as an integrative response Psychological perspective: Subjective feelings (introspection). q Internal body responses (sensationsemotions) including autonomic. q Cognitive associations (causality+simulation). q Facial expressions (genetic). q Action tendencies. q

Functions of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) (Squire et al. , 2003) q Controls online the homeostasis of body’s physiology: blood chemistry, respiration, circulation, digestion, immune… q Innervates smooth muscles & many tissues. q Cannon (1939) referred to the “Wisdom of the body”. q Autonomic: automatic, involuntary, visceral. q Sympathetic: sympathy, coordination between organs. : subserves the “sympathies”, or emotions. q Parasympathetic: only recently discovered. q Example: Postural hypothension in dysautonomia.

ANS & consciousness No conscious experience of autonomic reflexes. q Imagine the confusion if cognitive system would be in charge (Thomas, 1974). q No experience of deficit as ANS responses are: initiated rapidly. initiated in anticipation. coordinated with somatic nervous system. q

Spine Preganglionic Postganglionic Para/pre-vertebral ganglia Target

SNS 1 - preganglionic neuron 2 - spinal nerve 4 - symp. ganglia 6 - autonomic n. 78 - prevertebral ganglia 9 - terminal ganglia

Brainstem Spine Preganglionic (III, VII, IX, X-vagal) Near the target

PSNS

SNS & PSNS pre- and postganglionic levels Compared with skeletal motor system, the extra synapse at peripheral ganglia allows: q More divergence: from single spinal segment to several ganglia; from single ganglia to organs; SNS > PSNS). q 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. q Functions during Fight-or-Flight: optimal tuning of peripheral organs. synergy of adjustments. fast response. q

Arousal and Homeostasis: Maintaining a single level of adaptive arousal

Arousal and 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