Chapter 14: Biological Rhythms, Sleep and Dreaming Flashcards

1
Q

circadian rhythm

A

natural rhythms of 24 hours

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

what can influence circadian rhythms?

A

light and dark cycle

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

short rhythms

A

pacemaker cells in heart

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

long rhythms

A

seasonal cycles

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

free running

A

maintaining a circadian rhythm without external cues

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

phase shift

A

shift of activity due to a shift in a synchronizing stimulus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

entrainment

A

process of this shift

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

zeitgeber

A

means time giver
- external cue used to synchronize activity (light)`

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)

A

small region of hypothalamus that sets circadian rhythm

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

what do vertebrates have that entrain the circadian rhythm?

A

photoreceptors outside the eye

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

what in mammals provide this information to the SCN?

A

cells in eyes
retinal ganglion cells send axons to retinohypothalamic pathway, then split off at optic chiasm to directly synapse to SCN

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

what do retinal ganglion cells contain?

A

melanopsin

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

process of information getting to SCN

A
  1. light projects to the eye
  2. cones and rods provide form vision
  3. entrainment pathway consists of retinal ganglion cells containing melanopsin that project to the SCN through retinohypothalamic tract
  4. goes from SCN to thalamus to form vision which then sets the circadian rhythm
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Circadian Rhythm Clock

A
  1. Two proteins, Clock and Cycle, bind together to form dimer
  2. Clock/Cycle dimer binds to DNA, enhancing the transcription of the genes for Period (Per) and Cryptochrome (Cry)
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

what causes night owls vs morning people?

A

different alleles of Clock or Per gene

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

ultradian rhythms

A

period shorter than circadian rhythm, usually several minutes or hours
- example: basic rest activity cycle (90 mins)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

infradian rhythms

A

period longer than circadian rhythm, longer than a day
example: menstrual cycle

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

circannual rhythms

A

about a year
- light can affect these rhythms but do not depend on SCN

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

what is the most prominent circadian rhythm?

A

sleep/wake cycle (25 hours)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

how to investigate sleep?

A

EEG, EMG, EOG

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

how long are cycles during sleep?

A

90-110 minutes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Rapid Eye Movement Sleep (REM)

A

vivid dreams, often built around stories where dreamer is present

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

what occurs during REM sleep?

A

eyes move rapidly, breathing and heart rate are uneven
EEG suggest awake brain, but muscles are relaxed and limp

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Non-REM (NREM)

A

more about thoughts and thinking

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

stage 1 of NREM

A

8-12 Hz (alpha rhythm)
as drowsiness sets in, time spent in alpha rhythm decreases
vertex spikes: sharp wave EEG pattern

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

what occurs during stage 1 of NREM?

A

experience sensations of falling and jerk into wakefulness called “hypnic jerks”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

stage 2 NREM

A

12-14hz (sleep spindles)
- occur periodically
K complexes: sharp negative EEG potentials

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

what occurs during stage 1 and 2 NREM?

A

people awakened in stage 1 or 2 deny having been asleep

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

stage 3 NREM

A

1hz (delta waves)
also called slow wave sleep

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

delta waves

A

large amplitude, but very slow
widespread synchronized activity across cortex

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

what occurs during stage 3 NREM?

A

night terrors: sudden arousal with intense fear and activation of autonomic system, feel a crushing on chest

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

what is REM sleep present in?

A

only birds and mammals

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

describe infants sleep cycles

A

they sleep more but have shorter sleep cycles
- have high percentage of REM sleep

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

what happens to sleep as you age?

A

less sleep is needed and there are more awakenings at night

35
Q

what happens to elderly during stage 3 sleep?

A

there is a decline and it may be related to cognitive decline

36
Q

elderly sleep cycles

A

fall asleep easily but cannot stay asleep

37
Q

what does sleep deprivation lead to in rats?

A

increased metabolic rate, weight loss and after 19 days, death

38
Q

what was the death caused by in the rats?

A

bacterial infection, which is normally fought off by immune system but lack of sleep prevented that

39
Q

fatal familial insomnia

A

genetic defect, stop sleeping mid-age, die within 7-24 months

40
Q

four functions of sleep

A
  1. energy conservation
  2. niche adaptation
  3. body restoration
  4. memory consolidation
41
Q

energy conservation

A

reduced body temperature, slower respiration, slower heart rate –> reduced metabolic activity

42
Q

niche adaptation

A

sleep enforces this adaptation to a particular ecological niche

43
Q

body restoration

A

sleep helps restore body materials and functions

44
Q

what does prolonged sleep deprivation lead to?

A

weakened immune system

45
Q

what can increase risk of cancer?

A

working overnight and sleeping during the day

46
Q

true or false: exercise causes people to sleep longer

A

false

47
Q

memory consolidation

A

sleep promotes memory consolidation

48
Q

what type of sleep is important for procedural memories?

A

NREM

49
Q

neural systems and sleep

A
  1. forebrain system
  2. brainstem system
  3. pontine system
  4. hypothalamic system
50
Q

forebrain system

A

displays slow wave sleep by itself

51
Q

what causes sleepiness?

A

basal forebrain stimulations

52
Q

what happens within the basal forebrain?

A

neural circuits activate GABA-ergic neurons that send their axons to the tubermammillary nucleus in the hypothalamus where the stimulation of GABA-A promotes sleep

53
Q

brainstem system

A

activates forebrain into wakefulness

54
Q

reticular formation

A

collection of cells throughout brainstem that project to variety of structures

55
Q

what awakens mammals rapidly?

A

electrical stimulation of reticular formation

56
Q

pontine system

A

triggers REM sleep

57
Q

what specifically triggers REM sleep?

A

small group of cells in pons, ventral to locus coeruleus

58
Q

where else do these pon cells travel?

A

they project to motoneurons and stop them which prevents them from reaching threshold and producing an action potential&raquo_space; making muscles flacid

59
Q

hypothalamic system

A

affects other three systems to determine sleep/wake

60
Q

how was the connection between hypothalamic system and sleep discovered?

A

narcolepsy

61
Q

narcolepsy

A

disorder that involves frequent, intense episodes of sleep that last from 5-30 minutes and can occur anytime during usual waking hours

62
Q

what type of sleep do people with narcolepsy enter?

A

they enter REM sleep immediately upon falling asleep

63
Q

cataplexy

A

sudden loss of muscle tone, leading to collapsing of body without loss of conciousness

64
Q

what do narcoleptics suffer from?

A

cataplexy

65
Q

treatment for narcolepsy

A

modafinil

66
Q

why does cataplexy occur in narcoleptics?

A

continued activity in pontine system that inhibits motoneurons

67
Q

what leads to narcolepsy?

A

loss of hypocretin neurons (located in hypothalamus)

68
Q

where do hypocretin neurons project?

A

basal forebrain, reticular formation and locus coeruleus
and tuberomammillary nucleus in hypothalamus

69
Q

most common sleep disorders in children

A

night terrors and sleep enuresis

70
Q

sleep enuresis

A

bed wetting that occurs during slow wave sleep

71
Q

treatment for sleep enuresis

A

drugs that decrease stage 3 sleep or antidiuretic

72
Q

sommanbulism

A

sleepwalking that occurs during slow wave sleep

73
Q

REM behavior disorder

A

person is physically acting out a dream

74
Q

when does REM behavior disorder begin and who is it more common in?

A

begins around 50 and more common in males

75
Q

what does onset of REM behavior disorder followed by?

A

parkinsons or dementia

76
Q

sleep onset insomnia

A

difficultly falling asleep caused by situational factors

77
Q

sleep maintenance insomnia

A

difficulty staying asleep

78
Q

what is sleep maintenance insomnia caused by?

A

sleep apnea: respiration becomes unreliable and person may stop breathing for a minute

79
Q

what does sleep apnea do?

A

kill neurons and lead to cardiovascular problems

80
Q

treatments for insomnia

A

barbiturates, benzodiazepines, benzo mimics

81
Q

problems with drugs used for insomnia

A

lose effectiveness over time, do not provide normal sleep and drowsiness during the day

82
Q

best treatment for insomnia

A

visit a sleep clinic or work with sleep disorder expert to practice good sleep hygiene

83
Q

sudden infant death syndrome

A

abnormalities in serotonin system in brainstem that regulate respiration