(prior) Personal Protection for your Brain quiz

In the First Video, “what is PTSD”, what are the four types of symptoms experienced by persons suffering from PTSD?

In the National Geographic Video, what are the 2 stress hormones that were described as the backbone of the stress response?

In the National Geographic Video, Dr Sibolski found the following physical characteristics in stressed baboons?

Stresses baboons showed higher heart rates and blood pressures than non-stressed.  Also interesting, Dr. Shively found arthrosclerosis and a tendency toward storing fat on the torso, specifically the abdomen, in stressed macaques.  Also, she found they have decreased sensitivity to dopamine.

In the National Geographic Video, the WhiteHall study revealed that stress levels are inversely proportionate to one’s standing in a social hierarchy.

In the National Geographic Video, what part of the rats’ brain shrank when they were exposed to stress?

In the National Geographic Video, they talked about stress causing fat to be distributed in abnormal patterns when we are stressed. Fat on and in the abdomen is more harmful than fat carried elsewhere in the body.

At the end of the National Geographic Video, there was some talk about reducing stress in our workplaces. The speaker described a prescription to reduce our stress as it relates to how we are managed in our workplace. What might mangers do to reduce our stress? ( these same concepts are described in the manual in chapters 2 and 4).

What is resiliency?

Older people are more resilient than younger people, and are women more or less resilient than men.

Long term chronic stress produces a group of harmful chemicals within our bodies. These stress hormones are referred to as corticosteroids. They are actually toxic to brain tissue and cause atrophy of structures required for learning and memory

This is why an internal locus of control improves health.
This, as well, has to do with the measure of control one feels they have in their life. With an external locus the perception is that one has no control over what happens to them which increases stress. With an internal locus on feels that they are directing their life to a greater extent, reducing stress and thereby improving health. As well, people who perceive a greater amount of control tend to TAKE control and are better at implementing preventative measures against psychological trauma.

Problem focussed coping mechanisms, or the channeling of all available resources to resolve the conflict or stress lead to resilience against PTSD.

Avoidance based coping strategies lead to a lack of resilience, increased PTSD symptoms, and depression.

There is a great deal of evidence that people with strong social support are more resilient than those without.

It’s very difficult for loved ones to comfort and support someone through an attack. They may often feel that they are saying or doing the wrong thing. Sometimes, the best thing is ……. to do nothing but be there for them.

Jobs which place high demands on their employees and give them low control over how they arrange their work are more likely to cause excessive stress and lead to burn out.

When the mental or physical energy expended to achieve a goal is low and the reward is high, much Dopamine is released. Conversely, low reward and high effort lead to a lack of resilience and increased stress.

The amygdala is the part of the brain that is responsible for the stress or fear response. It processes external stimuli and recognizes threats. Upon perceiving a threat, it initiates the “fight or flight” response, sending signals to other parts of the brain that, in turn, produce the body’s physical ability to respond to the threat.

What part of the brain is responsible for sorting and storing memories?

What areas of the brain are responsible for increasing blood pressure?

In PTSD, the normal checks and balances have been impaired. Normally, a part of the prefrontal cortex exerts a restraining influence on the amygdala.

Researchers have linked stress to a reduction in the volume of nerve cells, in the prefrontal cortex.

What is the Prefrontal Cortex of the brain responsible for, or in other words, what does it control?

People who identify stress in themselves should either reduce the stressors, or increase resilient behavior. What would they do to increase resiliency?

Failure to address a deficiency in emotions and impulse control may lead to problems with what?

There are several types of debriefing, but none have actually been shown to reduce the incidence of PTSD.

CISD has expanded to become Critical Incident Stress Management or CISM. CISM incorporates additional methods. What are they? One mark for each correct answer (page 31).

Forcing people to attend debriefings too soon after the traumatic event may lead to increased distress and re-traumatize individuals who are still coming to terms with what they have experienced.

We can predict that people who suffer psychological injury are at risk. We know that they may not be able to control their emotions and they may have difficulty thinking or making reasonable choices. What types of behavior might you see in someone who has suffered a serious psychological injury?

People who suffer an acute stress reaction display certain symptoms or changes in their vital signs. The symptoms usually appear within minutes of the impact of the stressful stimulus or event, and disappear within two to three days (often within hours) These are some symptoms or changes in vital signs that you would expect to find in a co-worker who has suffered psychological injury?
Disorientation, agitation, withdrawing from surroundings, anxiety characterized by sweating, flushing and increased heart rate.

What should you do initially to support your co-worker who has suffered an acute stress reaction?

Increased stress causes excessive blood cholesterol levels, obesity and high blood pressure. This cluster of conditions is called metabolic syndrome. People who have metabolic syndrome are nine times more likely to develop type 2 or adult onset diabetes.

People with Metabolic Syndrome are at increased risk to develop PTSD.

What is Workload Management?

People with internal locus of control typically are problem solvers. If you are more prone to the other end of the spectrum, you may lack some of those basic abilities. There are a number of good books and resources to effect change, but basically it comes down to two things. What are they?

K-complexes are an aspect of one of the stages of Non-Rem sleep. They have two proposed functions. PTSD and Acute Stress Disorder compromise these processes. Which two from the following list describe the functions of K-Complexes?

It has been shown that sleep deprivation negatively affects the immune system.

One of the beneficial effects of meditation is the calming of the amygdala.

A person with Acute Stress Disorder may experience the following symptoms. Re-experiencing, hyperarousal, avoidance and/or disassociation that may be severe enough to interfere with one’s ability to function.

Now we know that the amygdala, when activated by a significant emotional stimulus, triggers increased learning and remembering. Adrenaline is a neurotransmitter or chemical is involved in this process?

All therapies for ASD and PTSD are designed to replace the false, incomplete and threatening memories with safe and proper memories.

Prolonged exposure therapy is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy which uses anxiety management techniques such as breathing control to reduce symptoms and allow for progression back to health.

There are two effective drugs for treating PTSD (although both may have unpleasant side effects). SSRIs and SNRIs. Both common anti-depressants. Beta blockers have been studied and results are suggestive that early initiation may help by blocking the formation of traumatic memory but more study is needed. Not currently a PTSD therapy in practice (as far as I know) though, apparently, they are prescribed “off label” for anxiety.

Fortunately, exercise produces a protective factor (brain derived neurotrophic factor or BDNF) which directly opposes the destruction of the hippocampus.