Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Physiology of Emotion

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Book cover Application of Biomedical Engineering in Neuroscience

  • 1301 Accesses

Abstract

Emotion is a physiological experience with behavioral expression of feelings in response to any sensory information. The behavioral changes include musculoskeletal, autonomic, and endocrine responses. Emotion is an intriguing aspect of human physiology that has been studied from various viewpoints of philosophy, sociology, psychology, evolutionary biology, etc. Physiologically, activation of specific structures and areas in the brain has been associated with generation of discrete or generalized emotions. Emotions provide motivation, and drive for action as well as aid in decision making. Therefore regulation of emotion results in rational decision making and help improve relationship with self, society, and environment. Psychosomatic and lifestyle noncommunicable disorders are largely result of unregulated emotional behavior over a long period of time.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Albano C (2008) The puzzle of human emotions: some historical considerations from the 17th to the 19th centuries [Internet]. Dev Med Child Neurol 50:494–497. [cited 2019 Mar 5]

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Bennett M, Hacker P (2005) Emotion and cortical-subcortical function: conceptual developments. Prog Neurobiol [Internet] 75(1):29–52. 2005 Jan 1 [cited 2019 Mar 24]

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Trofimova I (2018) Functionality versus dimensionality in psychological taxonomies, and a puzzle of emotional valence [Internet]. Philos Trans R Soc B Biol Sci 373: 20170167 [cited 2019 Mar 24]

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Trnka R, Balcar K, Kuška M (2011) How many dimensions does emotional experience have? The theory of multi-dimensional emotional experience. … Spaces From Exp to … [Internet] 33–40. 2011 [cited 2019 Mar 24]

    Google Scholar 

  5. Barrett LF, Mesquita B, Ochsner KN, Gross JJ (2006) The experience of emotion. Annul Rev Psychol [Internet] 58(1):373–403. 2006 Jan [cited 2019 Mar 5]

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. William J (2007) What is an emotion? Mind [Internet] os-IX(34):188–205. 2007 Apr 1 [cited 2019 Mar 21]

    Google Scholar 

  7. Cannon WB (2006) The James-Lange theory of emotions: a critical examination and an alternative theory. Am J Psychol [Internet] 39(1/4):106. 2006 Dec [cited 2019 Mar 21]

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Dalgleish T (2004) The emotional brain. Nat Rev Neurosci [Internet] 5(7):583–9. 2004 [cited 2019 Mar 5]

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Roxo MR, Franceschini PR, Zubaran C, Kleber FD, Sander JW (2011) The limbic system conception and its historical evolution. Sci World J [Internet] 11:2427–2440. [cited 2019 Mar 21]

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Lindquist KA, Wager TD, Kober H, Bliss-Moreau E, Barrett LF, Feldman Barrett L (2012) The brain basis of emotion: a meta-analytic review. Behav. Brain Sci [Internet] 35(03):121–143. 2012 Jun 23 [cited 2019 Mar 5]

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Sheridan MA, McLaughlin KA (2014) Dimensions of early experience and neural development: deprivation and threat [Internet]. Trends Cogn Sci 18:580–585. 2014 [cited 2019 Mar 24]

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Critchley HD, Garfinkel SN (2017) Interoception and Emotion. Curr Opin Psychol [Internet] 17:7–14. 2017 Oct 1 [cited 2019 Mar 24]

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Coombes SA, Janelle CM, Duley AR (2005) Emotion and motor control : affective picture processing. J Mot Behav [Internet] 37(6):425–436. [cited 2019 Mar 5]

    Google Scholar 

  14. Bliss-Moreau E, Toscano JE, Bauman MD, Mason WA, Amaral DG (2010) Neonatal amygdala or hippocampus lesions influence responsiveness to objects. Dev Psychobiol [Internet] 52(5):487–503. 2010 Apr 21 [cited 2019 Mar 5]

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Regev L, Baram TZ (2014) Corticotropin-releasing factor in neuroplasticity [Internet]. Front Neuroendocrinol 35:171–916. 2014 [cited 2019 Mar 25]

    Google Scholar 

  16. Adolphs R, Tranel D, Damasio H, Damasio A (1994) Impaired recognition of emotion in facial expressions following bilateral damage to the human amygdala. Nature [Internet] 372(6507):669–72. 1994 Dec [cited 2019 Mar 5]

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Davis M (2002) The role of the amygdala in fear and anxiety. Annu Rev Neurosci [Internet] 15(1):353–375. 2002 Mar 28 [cited 2019 Mar 5]

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Neugebauer V (2015) Amygdala pain mechanisms. Handb Exp Pharmacol [Internet] 227:261–84. 2015 [cited 2019 Mar 25]

    Google Scholar 

  19. Yang L, Comninos AN, Dhillo WS (2018) Intrinsic links among sex, emotion, and reproduction [Internet]. Cell Mol Life Sci 75: 2197–210. 2018 [cited 2019 Mar 25]. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-018-2802-3

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Schulte MHJ, Kaag AM, Wiers RW, Schmaal L, van den Brink W, Reneman L, et al (2017) Prefrontal Glx and GABA concentrations and impulsivity in cigarette smokers and smoking polysubstance users. Drug Alcohol Depend [Internet] 179:117–23. 2017 [cited 2019 Mar 26]. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.06.025

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Yuen EY, Wei J, Yan Z (2017) Molecular and epigenetic mechanisms for the complex effects of stress on synaptic physiology and cognitive functions. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol [Internet] 20(11):948–55. 2017 [cited 2019 Mar 25]

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Schmidt PJ, Abate AC, Schiller CE, Rubinow DR, Johnson SL (2016) Reproductive steroid regulation of mood and behavior. Compr Physiol [Internet] 6:1135–60. 2016 [cited 2019 Mar 25]

    Google Scholar 

  23. Bachner-Melman R, Ebstein RP (2014) The role of oxytocin and vasopressin in emotional and social behaviours. Handb Clin Neurol [Internet] 124:53–68. 2014 Jan 1 [cited 2019 Mar 26]

    Google Scholar 

  24. Stein JL, Hakimi S, Zink CF, Kempf L, Meyer-Lindenberg A (2010) Vasopressin modulates medial prefrontal cortex-amygdala circuitry during emotion processing in humans. J Neurosci [Internet] 30(20):7017–22. 2010 [cited 2019 Mar 26]

    Google Scholar 

  25. Carter CS, Grippo AJ, Pournajafi-Nazarloo H, Ruscio MG, Porges SW (2008) Oxytocin, vasopressin and sociality. Prog Brain Res [Internet] 170:331–336. 2008 Jan 1 [cited 2019 Mar 26]

    Google Scholar 

  26. Hashemian F, Shafigh F, Roohi E (2016) Regulatory role of prolactin in paternal behaviour in male parents: a narrative review. J Postgrad Med [Internet] 62(3):182. 2016 [cited 2019 Mar 25]

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Bob P, Fedor-Freybergh P (2008) Melatonin, consciousness, and traumatic stress [Internet]. J Pineal Res 44:341–347. 2008 [cited 2019 Mar 29]

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Brown-Grant K, Harris GW, Reichlin S (1954) The effect of emotional and physical stress on thyroid activity in the Rabbit [Internet]. J Physiol 26. 1954 [cited 2019 Mar 29].

    Google Scholar 

  29. Hage MP, Azar ST (2012) The link between thyroid function and depression [Internet]. J Thyroid Res 2012. Hindawi Publishing Corporation; 2012 [cited 2019 Mar 29]

    Google Scholar 

  30. Lebow MA, Chen A (2016) Overshadowed by the amygdala: the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis emerges as key to psychiatric disorders. Mol Psychiatry [Internet] 21(4):450–63. 2016 Apr [cited 2019 Mar 27]

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Heany SJ, van Honk J, Stein DJ, Brooks SJ (2015) A quantitative and qualitative review of the effects of testosterone on the function and structure of the human social-emotional brain. Metab Brain Dis [Internet] 31(1):157–67. 2015 [cited 2019 Mar 25]

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Fayyaz M, Anjum S, Samoo Z, Anjum I, Jeffery SS (2018) The role of vitamin D in brain health: a mini literature review. Cureus [Internet] 10(7). 2018 [cited 2019 Mar 27]

    Google Scholar 

  33. Penckofer S, Kouba J, Byrn M, Estwing Ferrans C, Ferrans CE (2010) Vitamin D and depression: where is all the sunshine? Issues Ment Health Nurs [Internet] 31(6):385–93. 2010 [cited 2019 Mar 26]

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Takahashi A (2016) Enkephalin. In: Handbook of hormones [Internet]. Academic, p 55-7A-2; 2016 [cited 2019 Mar 27]. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128010280001173

  35. Howlett TA, Rees LH (2003) Endogenous opioid peptides and hypothalamo-Pituitary function. Annu Rev Physiol [Internet] 48(1):527–36. 2003 Nov 28 [cited 2019 Mar 27]. Available from: https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/pdf/10.1146/annurev.ph.48.030186.002523

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Grossman A (1983) Brain opiates and neuroendocrine function. Clin Endocrinol Metab [Internet] 12(3):725–46. 1983 Nov [cited 2019 Mar 27]

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Roberto M, Spierling SR, Kirson D, Zorrilla EP (2017) Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and addictive behaviors. Int Rev Neurobiol [Internet] 136:5–51. 2017 [cited 2019 Mar 25]

    Google Scholar 

  38. Berna G, Ott L, Nandrino J-L (2014) Effects of emotion regulation difficulties on the tonic and phasic cardiac autonomic response. PLoS One [Internet] 9(7):1–10. 2014 [cited 2019 Mar 5]

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Goshvarpour A, Abbasi A, Goshvarpour A (2017) An accurate emotion recognition system using ECG and GSR signals and matching pursuit method. Biomed J [Internet] 40(6):355–68. 2017 [cited 2019 Mar 5]

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Bijlani R (2011) Medical physiology. In: Understanding medical physiology, 4th edn. Jaypee Publishers, New Delhi

    Book  Google Scholar 

  41. Nummenmaa L, Glerean E, Hari R, Hietanen JK (2013) Bodily maps of emotions. Proc Natl Acad Sci [Internet] 111(2):646–651. 2013 [cited 2019 Mar 30]

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, NEIGRIHMS, Shillong, India

    Rituparna Barooah

Authors
  1. Rituparna Barooah
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Engineering, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong, Meghalaya, India

    Sudip Paul

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Barooah, R. (2019). Physiology of Emotion. In: Paul, S. (eds) Application of Biomedical Engineering in Neuroscience. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-7142-4_21

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation