Chronic Stress and Behavioral Response
Chronic Stress and Behavioral Response
Overview of the Assignment
Cortisol is a key hormone released during the stress response. In this module assignment, we will look more closely at this hormone to investigate:
Cortisol’s molecular composition the signaling pathway that causes cortisol production and release the cellular-, organ-, and organ system-level response that results from this cell signal Case Assignment
Check out the following articles:
Cortisol and the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis in Stress Physiology M. Randall. Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science, 2011.
and
The Interaction of Traumatic Stress, PTSD, and Cortisol. Naval Center for Combat and Operational Stress Control, Delaney, E.
After reading these articles, create a 10-15 slide presentation in the format shown below.
Slides 1 and 2 depict the hormonal signal cascade described in Randall’s (2011) article’s section titled “Neurochemistry of Stress.” To represent the regions that release specific hormones in the hormone cascade that results in cortisol release, use simple ovals or circles. Textboxes can be used to label the hormones, regions, and organs involved (both options are available in the PowerPoint program’s “Insert” tab).
Label and diagram the kidney and adrenal gland on slides 3 and 4. Include the following items:
Cortex and medulla of the adrenal gland; regions associated with hormone production and release; hormones released in each region
Kidney cortex and medulla; water absorption and filtering region; urine collection region
Diagram and label the HPA axis on slide 5. Include the hormones produced by each component as well as their impact on the target organ (s).
Slide 6: Include the location of the hippocampus and the negative feedback loop that occurs when the hippocampus detects high cortisol levels in your diagram from Slide 5. Include a brief description of the effects of elevated cortisol exposure on the hippocampus in the notes section.
Slide 7: Using bulleted points, list factors that exacerbate the stress response via HPA axis activation.
Slides 8-10: Conduct additional PTSD research. Draw a diagram of the brain regions thought to be involved in PTSD symptoms. Explain the connection between PTSD and depression, and include relevant brain regions in your labeled regions.
Slides 11-13: Summarize the various findings in the studies described in the article “The Relationship between Traumatic Stress, PTSD, and Cortisol” in bulleted points. Include the correlations discovered between cortisol levels and PTSD patients. Some explanations from the article for the variability in cortisol levels in these individuals are included in the notes. Explain the limitations of the studies mentioned at the end of the article by the author.
Slides 14 and 15: citations and additional notes as needed
Expectations for the Assignment
You will create a PowerPoint presentation with approximately 15 slides that addresses the requirements outlined above for this Case Assignment. Insert the text that answers the questions above into the Notes section of your slide presentation. Cite all of your answers in your Notes sections, for example (Murray 2014). Your slides should include labeled images that illustrate the text in your Notes sections. To find diagrams of the required organs and systems, conduct a Google search that includes the term “image” (for example, “adrenal gland image”). Give the URL or reference for each labeled image. Make sure your final slide is a references slide with the complete references cited on your slides. There are numerous resources available to you. Include these in your bibliography. This assignment should not necessitate a lot of independent research.
Important information for writing discussion questions and participation
Welcome to class
Hello class and welcome to the class and I will be your instructor for this course. This is a -week course and requires a lot of time commitment, organization, and a high level of dedication. Please use the class syllabus to guide you through all the assignments required for the course. I have also attached the classroom policies to this announcement to know your expectations for this course. Please review this document carefully and ask me any questions if you do. You could email me at any time or send me a message via the “message” icon in halo if you need to contact me. I check my email regularly, so you should get a response within 24 hours. If you have not heard from me within 24 hours and need to contact me urgently, please send a follow up text to
I strongly encourage that you do not wait until the very last minute to complete your assignments. Your assignments in weeks 4 and 5 require early planning as you would need to present a teaching plan and interview a community health provider. I advise you look at the requirements for these assignments at the beginning of the course and plan accordingly. I have posted the YouTube link that explains all the class assignments in detail. It is required that you watch this 32-minute video as the assignments from week 3 through 5 require that you follow the instructions to the letter to succeed. Failure to complete these assignments according to instructions might lead to a zero. After watching the video, please schedule a one-on-one with me to discuss your topic for your project by the second week of class. Use this link to schedule a 15-minute session. Please, call me at the time of your appointment on my number. Please note that I will NOT call you.
Please, be advised I do NOT accept any assignments by email. If you are having technical issues with uploading an assignment, contact the technical department and inform me of the issue. If you have any issues that would prevent you from getting your assignments to me by the deadline, please inform me to request a possible extension. Note that working fulltime or overtime is no excuse for late assignments. There is a 5%-point deduction for every day your assignment is late. This only applies to approved extensions. Late assignments will not be accepted.
If you think you would be needing accommodations due to any reasons, please contact the appropriate department to request accommodations.
Plagiarism is highly prohibited. Please ensure you are citing your sources correctly using APA 7th edition. All assignments including discussion posts should be formatted in APA with the appropriate spacing, font, margin, and indents. Any papers not well formatted would be returned back to you, hence, I advise you review APA formatting style. I have attached a sample paper in APA format and will also post sample discussion responses in subsequent announcements.
Your initial discussion post should be a minimum of 200 words and response posts should be a minimum of 150 words. Be advised that I grade based on quality and not necessarily the number of words you post. A minimum of TWO references should be used for your initial post. For your response post, you do not need references as personal experiences would count as response posts. If you however cite anything from the literature for your response post, it is required that you cite your reference. You should include a minimum of THREE references for papers in this course. Please note that references should be no more than 5 years old except recommended as a resource for the class. Furthermore, for each discussion board question, you need ONE initial substantive response and TWO substantive responses to either your classmates or your instructor for a total of THREE responses. There are TWO discussion questions each week, hence, you need a total minimum of SIX discussion posts for each week. I usually post a discussion question each week. You could also respond to these as it would count towards your required SIX discussion posts for the week.
I understand this is a lot of information to cover in 5 weeks, however, the Bible says in Philippians 4:13 that we can do all things through Christ that strengthens us. Even in times like this, we are encouraged by God’s word that we have that ability in us to succeed with His strength. I pray that each and every one of you receives strength for this course and life generally as we navigate through this pandemic that is shaking our world today. Relax and enjoy the course!
Hi Class,
Please read through the following information on writing a Discussion question response and participation posts.
Contact me if you have any questions.
Important information on Writing a Discussion Question
- Your response needs to be a minimum of 150 words (not including your list of references)
- There needs to be at least TWO references with ONE being a peer reviewed professional journal article.
- Include in-text citations in your response
- Do not include quotes—instead summarize and paraphrase the information
- Follow APA-7th edition
- Points will be deducted if the above is not followed
Participation –replies to your classmates or instructor
- A minimum of 6 responses per week, on at least 3 days of the week.
- Each response needs at least ONE reference with citations—best if it is a peer reviewed journal article
- Each response needs to be at least 75 words in length (does not include your list of references)
- Responses need to be substantive by bringing information to the discussion or further enhance the discussion. Responses of “I agree” or “great post” does not count for the word count.
- Follow APA 7th edition
- Points will be deducted if the above is not followed
- Remember to use and follow APA-7th edition for all weekly assignments, discussion questions, and participation points.
- Here are some helpful links
- Student paper example
- Citing Sources
- The Writing Center is a great resource
24/7 Nursing Homework Help
Stuck on a nursing assignment question? From easy essays to complicated dissertations, our accredited writers can answer all questions!
