Amygdala and Hypothalamus
- When an individual is faced with a threat, an area of the brain called the amygdala is mobilised
- The amygdala associates what we see, hear, smell, etc. with fight or flight emotions such as fear or anger
- The amygdala then sends a distress signal to the hypothalamus
- The hypothalamus acts as a command centre in the brain, communicating with the rest of the body through the sympathetic nervous system
- This also triggers the release of adrenaline
Synaptic Nervous System
- When triggered, prepares the body for rapid action necessary for fight or flight
- SNS sends a signal to the adrenal medulla which responds by releasing hormone adrenaline into the bloodstream
Adrenaline
- Causes a number of physiological changes in the body
- Sympathetic state
- Increases blood flow to the brain, allowing for rapid response planning and faster decision making to deal with the immediate stress more quickly
Parasympathetic Nervous System
- When the threat has passes, the parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system reduces the stress response