Neurotransmitters and Sleep Stages

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Questions and Answers

Which neurotransmitter is primarily associated with the active wake state and significantly contributes to arousal and attention?

Serotonin

Noradrenaline (correct)

Dopamine

GABA

During which sleep phase is acetylcholine levels significantly elevated while serotonin and noradrenaline are minimized?

Deep sleep

NREM

Quiet wake

REM (correct)

What is the primary function of the thalamus during awake and REM states?

Sensory information processing (correct)

Emotional regulation

Motor control

Regulate blood pressure

What role does serotonin play during the NREM sleep phase?

It is present but reduced compared to wakefulness. Signup and view all the answers

Which area of the brain is described as the 'power station' that activates the electrical brain power during wakefulness?

Brainstem Signup and view all the answers

What occurs to the thalamus during NREM sleep?

It closes, preventing information from entering the brain. Signup and view all the answers

Which neurotransmitter is involved in activating the brain during REM sleep?

Acetylcholine Signup and view all the answers

What role do PGO waves play during REM sleep?

They indicate bursts of electrical activity associated with dreaming. Signup and view all the answers

How does aging influence chronotype according to the content?

Chronotype tends to get earlier as individuals age. Signup and view all the answers

What was a significant finding regarding naps and memory retention in infants?

Infants who napped showed substantial learning more than 24 hours later. Signup and view all the answers

What impact does the density of NREM sleep spindles have on memory according to the research?

More spindles are positively correlated with improved memory recall accuracy. Signup and view all the answers

Which part of the brain is deactivated during REM sleep that affects logical reasoning?

Lateral prefrontal cortex Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary method used to assess memory improvement in preschoolers after napping?

Spatial declarative memory tasks Signup and view all the answers

How did sleep spindles function in relation to memory, as suggested in the studies?

They served as a mechanism for memory saving functions. Signup and view all the answers

What finding was reported regarding the effect of naps on middle school students' learning?

Naps improved memory retention days after learning. Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the measurable methods used to track brain activity mentioned in the content?

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) Signup and view all the answers

What hypothesis suggests an evolutionary reason for variations in human chronotype?

Sentinel Hypothesis Signup and view all the answers

Which behavior was observed in modern hunter-gatherer peoples concerning chronotype?

They show variations in activity levels associated with age. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following was NOT a condition in the nap studies with infants?

Baseline recall without prior learning Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Neurotransmitters & Stages of Sleep

Acetylcholine (Ach), Noradrenaline (NA), & Serotonin (5-HT) are the key neurotransmitters for regulating sleep.
Active Wake: High levels of Ach, NA, and 5-HT.
Quiet Wake: Moderate levels of Ach, NA, and 5-HT.
NREM Sleep: High levels of NA & 5-HT, low levels of Ach.
REM Sleep: High levels of Ach, low levels of NA & 5-HT.

Brain Regions & Sleep

Cortex: Responsible for information processing, perception, and dreaming.
Thalamus: Acts as a sensory gate, filtering information during wakefulness and NREM sleep.
Brainstem: The activating center crucial for regulating wakefulness.

Brain Activity During Wakefulness

Active Brainstem: Releases electrical signals for heightened brain activity.
Thalamus Activation: Sensory signals flood the thalamus, leading to alertness.

Brain Activity During NREM Sleep

Inactive Brainstem: The brainstem shuts down, reducing electrical brain activity.
Thalamus Inhibited: The thalamus gate is closed, blocking sensory information.
Reduced Cortex Activity: The cortex exhibits slow, synchronized brain waves, representing minimal processing.

Brain Activity During REM Sleep

Partly Active Brainstem: Ach is released, activating specific brain regions.
Thalamus Activation: The thalamus is stimulated, allowing internal sensory processing.
Activated Cortex: Areas involved in memory, emotion, motor control, and motivation are active, leading to vivid dreaming.
Deactive Prefrontal Cortex: The reasoning center is suppressed, resulting in illogical dream scenarios.

Functional Anatomy

PET scans & fMRI are used to measure brain activity during sleep.
Brain Areas Activated During REM:
- Cingulate Cortex - Emotional regulation
- Motor Cortex - Movement initiation
- Occipital Cortex - Complex visual processing
- Hippocampus - Memory
- Lateral Prefrontal Cortex - Logical reasoning (deactivated during REM)

Chronotype & Age

Chronotype refers to an individual's natural sleep-wake cycle preference.
Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) measures chronotype.
As we age, our chronotype tends to shift towards earlier wake-up times.
Social expectations and age-related brain changes can influence circadian rhythmicity.

Sentinel Hypothesis & Chronotype Variation

The Sentinel Hypothesis suggests that chronotype variation evolved to ensure constant vigilance against predators.
Hunter-gatherer societies, like the Hadza in Tanzania, showcase this phenomenon.
Individuals with varying chronotypes ensure that someone is always awake, providing a constant sentinel.

Napping & Memory Enhancement

Infants (Seehagen et al. 2014): Napping enhances memory in infants.
- Napped infants performed better on a memory task both immediately and 24 hours after learning.
Preschool Children (Kurdziel et al. 2013): Napping improves spatial memory in preschool children.
- Children who napped performed better than those who stayed awake, both immediately and 24 hours after the task.
- Sleep spindles occurring during naps were positively correlated with improved memory recall.

Napping & Learning in Middle School Students (Lemos et al. 2014)

Napping benefits middle school students: Students who napped after a lecture retained more information compared to those who didn’t.
- Nap-induced memory benefits persisted for several days, suggesting that napping safeguards learned material from being forgotten.

Ontogeny & Sleep Changes Across Lifespan

Wake:NREM ratio: Changes drastically with age.
- Childhood: Unknown ratio
- Adulthood: 4:1 (NREM:REM)
- Total sleep duration decreases with age.
- Children experience more deep REM sleep and fewer nighttime awakenings.
- Sleep patterns transition from polyphasic (multiple naps) to monophasic (single sleep phase) as we age.

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Description

This quiz explores the roles of neurotransmitters like Acetylcholine, Noradrenaline, and Serotonin in regulating sleep. It also covers brain regions involved in different sleep stages, including wakefulness and REM sleep. Test your knowledge on how these elements interact to influence sleep patterns.

Neurotransmitters and Sleep Stages - lecture 5 (I)

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