Chapter 14: Biological Rhythms, Sleep and Dreaming Flashcards
circadian rhythm
natural rhythms of 24 hours
what can influence circadian rhythms?
light and dark cycle
short rhythms
pacemaker cells in heart
long rhythms
seasonal cycles
free running
maintaining a circadian rhythm without external cues
phase shift
shift of activity due to a shift in a synchronizing stimulus
entrainment
process of this shift
zeitgeber
means time giver
- external cue used to synchronize activity (light)`
suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)
small region of hypothalamus that sets circadian rhythm
what do vertebrates have that entrain the circadian rhythm?
photoreceptors outside the eye
what in mammals provide this information to the SCN?
cells in eyes
retinal ganglion cells send axons to retinohypothalamic pathway, then split off at optic chiasm to directly synapse to SCN
what do retinal ganglion cells contain?
melanopsin
process of information getting to SCN
- light projects to the eye
- cones and rods provide form vision
- entrainment pathway consists of retinal ganglion cells containing melanopsin that project to the SCN through retinohypothalamic tract
- goes from SCN to thalamus to form vision which then sets the circadian rhythm
Circadian Rhythm Clock
- Two proteins, Clock and Cycle, bind together to form dimer
- Clock/Cycle dimer binds to DNA, enhancing the transcription of the genes for Period (Per) and Cryptochrome (Cry)
- Per and Cry bind together as a complex that inhibits the activity of the Clock/Cycle dimer, slowing transcription of the per and cry genes, and therefore slowing production of the Per and Cry proteins
- The Per/Cry proteins eventually break down or are modified so they no longer inhibit Clock/Cycle, allowing the process to start again. This cycle of gene transcription, protein interactions, and inhibition of gene expression takes about 24 hours to complete
- Retinal ganglion cells detect light with melanopsin, and their axons in the retinohypothalamic tract release glutamate onto neurons in the SCN. The glutamate stimulation leads to increased transcription of the per gene, synchronizing the molecular clock to the day-night cycle.
what causes night owls vs morning people?
different alleles of Clock or Per gene
ultradian rhythms
period shorter than circadian rhythm, usually several minutes or hours
- example: basic rest activity cycle (90 mins)
infradian rhythms
period longer than circadian rhythm, longer than a day
example: menstrual cycle
circannual rhythms
about a year
- light can affect these rhythms but do not depend on SCN
what is the most prominent circadian rhythm?
sleep/wake cycle (25 hours)
how to investigate sleep?
EEG, EMG, EOG
how long are cycles during sleep?
90-110 minutes
Rapid Eye Movement Sleep (REM)
vivid dreams, often built around stories where dreamer is present
what occurs during REM sleep?
eyes move rapidly, breathing and heart rate are uneven
EEG suggest awake brain, but muscles are relaxed and limp
Non-REM (NREM)
more about thoughts and thinking
stage 1 of NREM
8-12 Hz (alpha rhythm)
as drowsiness sets in, time spent in alpha rhythm decreases
vertex spikes: sharp wave EEG pattern
what occurs during stage 1 of NREM?
experience sensations of falling and jerk into wakefulness called “hypnic jerks”
stage 2 NREM
12-14hz (sleep spindles)
- occur periodically
K complexes: sharp negative EEG potentials
what occurs during stage 1 and 2 NREM?
people awakened in stage 1 or 2 deny having been asleep
stage 3 NREM
1hz (delta waves)
also called slow wave sleep
delta waves
large amplitude, but very slow
widespread synchronized activity across cortex
what occurs during stage 3 NREM?
night terrors: sudden arousal with intense fear and activation of autonomic system, feel a crushing on chest
what is REM sleep present in?
only birds and mammals
describe infants sleep cycles
they sleep more but have shorter sleep cycles
- have high percentage of REM sleep