trident ant100 module 1 case & slp latest 2017 november

STRESS AND THE NEUROENDOCRINE RESPONSE

Assignment Overview

STOP!!! Review the text and diagram on the Module Overview page and the introductory Anatomy and Physiology tutorial before proceeding with this assignment!

Note: If you have trouble viewing some of the course materials, install Quicktime and the Adobe Shockwave Player, both of which can be downloaded free from the Internet. Google Chrome browser does NOT work for the Pearson links; please use Mozilla Firefox in this case.

Case Assignment

Now study the upcoming hyperlink showing how the body responds to stressful stimuli. Notice that short-term stress follows one signaling pathway that begins in the brain, travels out the spinal cord, and directly to the adrenal glands. Many organs of the body will receive direct stress response messages using this pathway as well. When the adrenal glands receive the signal from this pathway, they release a stress hormone that signals many systems in the body to prepare to either run away from the stressor (such as a predator or an oncoming vehicle, for example), or fight. The part of the nervous system that activates this response to acute stress is called the sympathetic nervous system. After the stressful stimulus has passed, the parasympathetic (nicknamed the “rest and digest” response) calms the nervous system and restores the normal function of the body systems, maintaining homeostasis.

The Sympathetic vs. Parasympathetic Nervous Systems

These two divisions of the nervous system counteract each other to allow the body to receive the resources it needs to respond to a life-threatening situation (more glucose to the brain to enhance thinking ability, more oxygen and sugars to the muscles to run, etc.), and then return to a relaxed state. As you saw in the diagram, the sympathetic response begins when a stressful situation is detected by your sensory nerves, which make up the peripheral nervous system, or PNS. The sensory nerve endings can deliver this message directly to the brain through cranial nerves, which gather the information we need to give us the senses of smell, sight, hearing, and taste. Stress stimuli can also be detected by peripheral nerve endings throughout the body and delivered to the brain via the spinal cord. The brain and the spinal cord make up the central nervous system, or CNS.

View this upcoming hyperlink to review the anatomy of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.

Notice that the “rest and digest” (parasympathetic) message is delivered through cranial nerves that originate in the brain stem, and sacral nerves that originate in the sacrum at the end of the spinal cord. The “fight or flight” (sympathetic) response originates from the spinal cord. These nerve impulses are delivered by the CNS to the effector organs responsible for reacting to the situation by either stimulating the organ to take action, or calming (inhibiting) the organ to return to homeostasis. In this situation, the nervous system sends a signal to the endocrine system to handle acute, or short-term stress.

When the body is faced with long-term, or chronic stress, the endocrine system predominantly responds by releasing hormones such as cortisol. You will learn more about cortisol in the next module.

Read Understanding the Stress Response in Harvard Health Publications, published by the Harvard Medical School.

From your reading, address the following questions for your case assignment in the form of an essay. Be sure to use complete sentences for each question and APA formatting. Include any citations used to support your research. For additional expectations, including how to organize your assignment, see the “Assignment Expectations” below.

Define acute and chronic stress. Provide examples.

What region of the brain detects stress and interprets the stimulus as dangerous? What is its function, and where does it relay the signal that conveys the danger? What format is the signal in?

What is a hormone? What hormones are involved in the stress response? When are hormones released in the stress response?

What is the HPA and what role does it play in the stress response?

What recommendations are given to counter stress?

Assignment Expectations

Organize this assignment using subtitles that summarize each question above. For example, to answer Question 1, use the subtitle: Acute versus Chronic Stress. Answer each question under the subtitle using complete sentences that relate back to the question. Use APA formatting to cite any sources used within the text of your essay. Also, be sure to include a reference section at the end of your assignment that lists the sources that you were required to read and any additional resources you used to research your answers.

Module 1 - SLP

STRESS AND THE NEUROENDOCRINE RESPONSE

Note: If you have trouble viewing some of the course materials, install Quicktime and the Adobe Shockwave Player, both of which can be downloaded free from the Internet. Google Chrome browser does NOT work for the Pearson links; please use Mozilla Firefox in this case.

As you work through this SLP assignment, you will learn more about the flexibility, or plasticity, of the brain. You have learned about how the spinal nerves can deliver messages directly to effector organs from the CNS through peripheral nerves that branch off of the spinal cord. These nerves are collections of neurons bundled in connective tissue. Neurons also communicate with each other within the CNS and establish circuits and neuronal pathways.

First take some time to work through the video and image below about how neurons communicate:

Neurons communicate with each other

Synapses and neurotransmitters

Throughout life, the connections between neurons in the brain develop and change according to the genetic foundations that the individual inherits from the parents, and the environmental influences to which the individual must respond. For example, the abundance of one type of neuron over another, and the neurotransmitter that each produces can be predetermined by the DNA an individual inherits. However, an individual who is exposed to chronic stress during developmental years may reinforce some response pathways more than individuals who do not experience the same patterns of stress. These points are summarized and explained further in the article “Stress Management” provided by the Mayo Clinic. Read this brief article before continuing to the requirements for this SLP.

Continue your reading on how the brain handles stress and the idea of plasticity at BrainFacts.org, a public information initiative of the Society for Neuroscience, The Kavli Foundation, and Gatsby. Read the article, “How does the brain handle long-term stress?” and follow the link to the article, “Effects of Stress on the Developing Brain” which can be found in the right-hand column of links provided on the original webpage.

Complete the self-assessment below on stress, then address the following questions in paragraph format to complete the SLP assignment for Module 1:

SLP Assignment:

Complete the self-assessment below by evaluating your levels of stress. You will be selecting your stress level (1,2,3, 4 or 5 for each row) for each of four separate categories, then charting your results using an interactive software link (or you may use excel or any graphing software of your choice). You can use the excel link to chart your results (you must manually enter your scores, they are not automatically calculated). Then answer the questions following the self-assessment under the category “SLP Questions” to complete the assignment.

Module 1 SLP self-assessement worksheet UPDATED.xlsx

Rank your level of stress using the Self-Assessment Excel link above. Mark each statement from 1 (never applies to you) to 5 (always applies to you), according to how accurate each statement is in describing your current lifestyle. Note the total point values for each category as you will be graphing these later.

Once you have completed the self-assessment, note your total scores for each of the four categories (not the total, you will be graphing each category separately). Compile these scores from the stress assessment into a bar graph. One online tool for creating graphs can be found at the National Center for Education Statistics’ Create a Graph Web site: http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/default.aspx

Use the tabs on the right of the interactive graph area to select your design, enter your data, give your graph a title and label your axis’. Finally, download your graph as a jpeg or png file to insert into your assignment. Answer the questions below to complete the assignment.

Here is an example of what a bar graph might look like:

SLP Questions:

Answer the following questions using complete sentences

Which category (or categories) of stress were most relevant to you according to your graphed results? Remember to insert your graph into your assignment.

Watch the following video on “How Stress Affects Your Brain.” Learn how chronic stress can affect brain size, structure, and function, right down to the level of your genes. Do you think cognitive stress has the most influence (or impact) on the other categories (physical, behavioral, and emotional)? Why or why not?

Murgia, M. (n.d.). Ted Talks. How stress affects your brain [video file]. Retrieved February 11, 2017, from http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-stress-affects-your-brain-madhumita-murgia#watch

According to the articles you read at BrainFacts.org, how is the brain affected differently by short-term stress versus long-term stress?

Which neurotransmitter(s) plays a significant role in the brain’s ability to handle stress?

Do a little independent research on the hippocampus. Where is it located in the brain? Briefly describe its function and neurogenesis.

Are there other regions of the brain significantly impacted by stress; if so, how?

After reading the article “Effects of Stress on the Developing Brain,” (from BrainFacts.org), explain the implications of chronic stress on the developing brain and the rest of the body, as reported by the authors. What examples of chronic stressors are included?

What components of parental care are described as being important determinants of brain development in this article? What genetic influences are described as relevant to the ability to handle stressful environments?

SLP Assignment Expectations

Organize this assignment as an essay using subtitles related to the content for each question. Answer each question under the subtitle using complete sentences that relate back to the question. Use APA formatting to cite any sources used within the text of your essay. Be sure to include a references section at the end of your assignment that lists the sources that you were required to read and any additional resources you used to research your answers.