Developmental Psychopathology Slide Notes
Module 2
Biological, Cognitive, & Affective Influences on Developmental Psychopathology
● The human brain:
○ Extremely complex: On the order of 50-100 billion neurons
■ Each forms tens of thousands of connections
○ Neurotransmitters: Chemical messengers mediating information between neurons
○ Bidirectional relationship with behavior:
■ Causal influence on behavior
■ Changes in response to our experiences (plasticity)
■ Multiple levels of analysis
● Neural Systems for Emotion:
○ Key structures and networks closely linked to emotions and feelings:
■ Brainstem
■ Hypothalamus
■ Amygdala
■ Insula Cortex
■ Anterior cingulate cortex
■ Ventromedial prefrontal cortex
■ Somatosensory cortex
● Amygdala and Limbic System (look at slides for images)
● Emotion and the Brain:
○ A recent review of the brain imaging studies shows no convincing evidence for
the localization of emotions
■ No brain area is critical for emotion in general without contributing to
other behavioral aspects
● Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex (cmPFC)
○ Higher-order emotional processing
○ Moral reasoning
○ Social conduct
Module 2
Biological, Cognitive, & Affective Influences on Developmental Psychopathology
● The human brain:
○ Extremely complex: On the order of 50-100 billion neurons
■ Each forms tens of thousands of connections
○ Neurotransmitters: Chemical messengers mediating information between neurons
○ Bidirectional relationship with behavior:
■ Causal influence on behavior
■ Changes in response to our experiences (plasticity)
■ Multiple levels of analysis
● Neural Systems for Emotion:
○ Key structures and networks closely linked to emotions and feelings:
■ Brainstem
■ Hypothalamus
■ Amygdala
■ Insula Cortex
■ Anterior cingulate cortex
■ Ventromedial prefrontal cortex
■ Somatosensory cortex
● Amygdala and Limbic System (look at slides for images)
● Emotion and the Brain:
○ A recent review of the brain imaging studies shows no convincing evidence for
the localization of emotions
■ No brain area is critical for emotion in general without contributing to
other behavioral aspects
● Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex (cmPFC)
○ Higher-order emotional processing
○ Moral reasoning
○ Social conduct
