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Questions and Answers
What characterizes REM behavior disorder?
What characterizes REM behavior disorder?
Which of the following is most likely to occur during stages 3 or 4 of sleep?
Which of the following is most likely to occur during stages 3 or 4 of sleep?
Which statement about night terrors is accurate?
Which statement about night terrors is accurate?
What is one purpose of sleep noted in the study of its functions?
What is one purpose of sleep noted in the study of its functions?
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How does sleep theoretically contribute to memory improvement?
How does sleep theoretically contribute to memory improvement?
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Which species are noted for having adapted to never sleep?
Which species are noted for having adapted to never sleep?
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What physiological activity is associated with memory reinforcement during sleep?
What physiological activity is associated with memory reinforcement during sleep?
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Which condition involves engaging in sexual behavior while asleep?
Which condition involves engaging in sexual behavior while asleep?
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What neurotransmitter is released by certain areas of the hypothalamus to stimulate arousal?
What neurotransmitter is released by certain areas of the hypothalamus to stimulate arousal?
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Which part of the brain is primarily responsible for contributing to cortical arousal?
Which part of the brain is primarily responsible for contributing to cortical arousal?
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What effects do antihistamine drugs have on sleep?
What effects do antihistamine drugs have on sleep?
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During REM sleep, which part of the brain shows a decrease in activity?
During REM sleep, which part of the brain shows a decrease in activity?
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What is necessary for maintaining wakefulness according to the functions of orexin?
What is necessary for maintaining wakefulness according to the functions of orexin?
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Which statement describes a characteristic of sleepwalking?
Which statement describes a characteristic of sleepwalking?
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What role does GABA play in sleep?
What role does GABA play in sleep?
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What are PGO waves associated with?
What are PGO waves associated with?
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What is primarily regulated by the SCN in relation to sleep patterns?
What is primarily regulated by the SCN in relation to sleep patterns?
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Which disorder is characterized by brief episodes of sleep onset during the day?
Which disorder is characterized by brief episodes of sleep onset during the day?
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What effect does high concentration of PER and TIM have on sleep regulation?
What effect does high concentration of PER and TIM have on sleep regulation?
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What distinguishes a vegetative state from a minimally conscious state?
What distinguishes a vegetative state from a minimally conscious state?
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What is the primary function of sleep related to physiological restoration?
What is the primary function of sleep related to physiological restoration?
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Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of sleep?
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of sleep?
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Which disorder is often associated with disrupted sleep due to abnormal limb movements?
Which disorder is often associated with disrupted sleep due to abnormal limb movements?
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Melatonin release typically begins at which time relative to bedtime?
Melatonin release typically begins at which time relative to bedtime?
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Study Notes
Endogenous Rhythms
- Endogenous circannual rhythm: Internal calendar preparing a species for annual seasonal changes.
- Endogenous circadian rhythm: Internal rhythms lasting about a day, including wakefulness and sleepiness.
- Circadian rhythm in humans: Self-generated duration of about 24 hours, impacting eating, drinking, hormone secretion, and mood. Body temperature also fluctuates, typically 36.7°C at night and 37.2°C late afternoon/early evening. Teenagers experience increased positive mood from waking to late afternoon, then a slight decrease.
- Zeitgeber: External stimulus (primarily light) needed to reset circadian rhythm.
Setting and Resetting the Biological Clock
- Light is the dominant zeitgeber for land animals.
- Incomplete light/dark cycles affect alertness and sleep quality.
- Individuals using external factors like noise or temperature can also reset their circadian rhythm.
- Disruption of circadian rhythm through daylight savings time and shift work can cause inefficiency & insomnia
- Repeated circadian rhythm adjustments increase cortisol levels, potentially damaging the hippocampus and affecting memory.
Stages of Sleep and Brain Mechanisms
- Sleep: Decreased brain response to stimuli.
- Coma: Prolonged unconsciousness with low brain activity.
- Vegetative State: Alternating between sleep/moderate arousal, lacking awareness.
- Minimally Conscious State: Occasional purposeful actions, limited speech comprehension.
- Brain Death: Absence of brain activity and response.
Stages of Sleep
- EEG: Electroencephalography measures electrical brain activity.
- Polysomnograph: Combination of EEG and eye-movement records.
- Stage 1 Sleep: Irregular, jagged, and low-voltage waves; light sleep.
- Stage 2 Sleep: Includes sleep spindles (burst of 12-14 Hz waves) and K-complexes (sharp, high amplitude waves); intermediate sleep.
- Stages 3 & 4 Sleep (Slow-Wave Sleep (SWS)): Slow, large-amplitude waves; deep and restorative sleep.
- REM Sleep (Rapid Eye Movement): Brain is active while muscles are relaxed. Associated with dreaming.
Brain Structures of Arousal and Attention
- Reticular formation: Neural structure from medulla to forebrain influencing arousal.
- Pontomesencephalon: Portion of the reticular formation promoting cortical arousal.
- Locus coeruleus: Brain structure releasing norepinephrine to enhance arousal in response to important events - dormant during sleep.
- Hippothalamus: Areas releasing histamine (excitatory effects) and orexin (critical for alertness) are vital in waking and sleep.
- Basal forebrain: Area releasing GABA to reduce neural activity and promote sleep.
Sleep and the Inhibition of Brain Activity
- During sleep, body temperature and metabolic rate slightly decrease.
- GABA plays a significant role in lowering synaptic activity, leading to sleep.
- Sleepwalking and sleep talking can happen in certain sleep stages.
Brain Mechanisms of Wakefulness, Arousal, and Sleep
- Sleep is controlled by a complex interaction of brain regions which includes the reticular formation, and limbic system.
- Different parts of the brain are very active during various stages of sleep.
- Sleep problems can be located in specific parts and structures in the brain.
Brain Mechanisms Controlling Attention
- Bottom-up Process: Reaction to a stimulus
- Top-down Process: Intentional attention (e.g., searching for someone in a crowd).
- Brain areas play significant roles in controlling attention.
The Hippocampus and the Striatum
- Short Term Memory : Related to recent events
- Long Term Memory: Related to more distant events
- Hippocampus is crucial for declarative memory, but other structures like the striatum are essential for procedural memory (or habits)
- Declarative Memories: Include episodic memory (personal experiences) and semantic memory (general knowledge).
- Procedural Memories : Related to habits.
- Parts of the brain, including basal ganglia and other areas, are heavily involved in memory, and damage/problems in these structures can result in memory loss.
Sleep Disorders
- Insomnia: Inability to sleep or maintain sleep.
- Sleep Apnea: Inability to breathe during sleep.
- Night Terrors: Abrupt and anxious awakenings from NREM sleep.
- Sleepwalking: Often occurs during stages 3 or 4 early in the night.
- Narcolepsy: Disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness.
- Periodic Limb Movement Disorder: Involuntary movements of the legs and arms, primarily during NREM sleep.
Consciousness and Unconscious Processes
- Conciousness: Awareness of self and the environment.
- Different views of the mind-body problem exist.
- Consciousness depends on brain activity, especially widespread activation throughout the cortex.
- Certain brain regions are involved in different types of consciousness; the brain operates as a network of interconnected brain regions.
Cognitive Functions-Laterality and Language
- Brain Has Two Hemispheres: Each controls the opposite side of the body.
- Lateralization: Specialization of functions in each hemisphere. Language is primarily localized in the left hemisphere (in most people).
- Corpus Callosum: Bundle of axons connecting the two hemispheres and allowing communication.
- Split Brain Patients: Individuals whose corpus callosum is severed; their hemispheres show independent actions.
- Visual and Auditory Connections: Sensory information is typically routed to the opposite hemisphere.
Cognitive Functions-Visual and Auditory Connections
- Information from the right visual field is relayed to the left hemisphere and from the left visual field to the right hemisphere.
- Sound from each side of the head is routed to both hemispheres, but each ear sends information to both hemispheres
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Description
Explore the concepts of endogenous circadian and circannual rhythms, their impact on human behavior, and the importance of zeitgebers in resetting our biological clocks. Understand how light and other external factors influence our sleep and alertness. This quiz delves into the science behind our internal timing systems.
