Dissertation
An investigation of insular cortex efferents to the extended amygdala in passive stress coping
University of Iowa
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Iowa
Autumn 2025
DOI: 10.25820/etd.008196
Abstract
Selection of an appropriate response mechanisms to stress are vital for the survival and well-being of every individual. As psychiatric disorders linked to stress exposure become ever more present in the population, understanding the neurocircuitry underlying healthy and maladaptive stress has never been more crucial. Responses to stress are multi-faceted and include behavioral, endocrine, and autonomic components. By investigating networks nuclei throughout the brain that help us navigate through aversive experiences, we will be better informed on how to develop effective interventions for elevating the burden of dysregulated stress responding. Previous work has demonstrated that, midbrain limbic structures not only receive, but are heavily influenced by input from the frontal cortex. These cortical regions assess both information from within the organism and its environment to optimize chances of survival and maintain homeostasis. These integrative nodes of the frontal cortex can become overwhelmed and dysregulated leading to susceptibility in the face of stress and later pathology. By manipulating these cortical projections under conditions of stress and observing how aspects of the behavioral, hormonal, and autonomic responses to stress deviate from control subjects undergoing the same aversive exposure, we can causally link these cortical projections to specific aspects of dysregulation between the different aspects of stress responding. Therefore, the aim of this body of work is to investigate the role of insular cortex projections in the regulation of behavioral and endocrine endpoints of stress. Specifically, our goal is to investigate how these projections to multiple sites in the extended amygdala contribute to an overall network of stress responding in the aftermath of acute stress.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- An investigation of insular cortex efferents to the extended amygdala in passive stress coping
- Creators
- Dalton C Hinz
- Contributors
- Jason J Radley (Advisor)John H Freeman (Committee Member)Ryan T LaLumiere (Committee Member)Isabel A Muzzio (Committee Member)
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Iowa
- Degree in
- Psychology
- Date degree season
- Autumn 2025
- DOI
- 10.25820/etd.008196
- Publisher
- University of Iowa
- Number of pages
- xii, 78 pages
- Copyright
- Copyright 2025 Dalton Christopher Hinz
- Language
- English
- Date submitted
- 12/04/2025
- Description illustrations
- illustrations, tables, graphs
- Description bibliographic
- Includes bibliographical reference (pages 69-78).
- Public Abstract (ETD)
- Everyone is familiar with the negative feelings of stress. However, stress can be extremely beneficial for helping you navigate through daily life. It draws your attention to whatever is the most crucial at any given Jme and it can physically prepare your body and mind to overcome otherwise insurmountable challenges. Evolutionarily, humans and our animal counterparts relied heavily on the almost automated response generated by our brains capacity to understand and navigate stressful situations. However, as our sources of stress became more complex, our biology struggled to keep up. There is rising concern about the prevalence of mental disorders like depression, anxiety, and PTSD in our society. Understanding the body s normal response in trying to mitigate overwhelming stress and figuring out where it might go wrong is essential if we want to develop better preventative measures and treatments for those at risk of developing these disorders.
This body of work aims to investigate regions of the brain previously shown to play a role in stress responding. By manipulating these stress processing centers in our brain during a controlled stressful experience, we can gain a valuable understanding of how this process might be disrupted. Our goal is to address unanswered questions about how these regions talk to each other and how they coordinate a complex, body-wide response to stressful challenges. Our interest lies particularly with processes that bias individuals towards proactive or reactive engagement with a given challenge and how this relates to regulation of stress hormones which help us in moderate doses but become unhealthy if released in excess. It is our hope that by studying which parts of the brain are critical for processing individual parts of the overall response, we will contribute to the ongoing search for relief for those who suffer from stress related disorders.
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences
- Record Identifier
- 9985134945302771
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