Chapter 3—Consciousness

Question 1

Consciousness

Answer 1

Awareness that we have of our surroundings, our internal states, and ourselves

Four States: alertness, sleep, dreaming, and altered states of consciousness

Question 2

Sleep

Answer 2

State of consciousness in which the nervous system is relatively inactive and the normal brain activity that is typically during consciousness is suspended

Question 3

Polysomnography (PSG)

Answer 3

Multi-faced method for examining and measuring physiological processes that occur during sleep

Measures electrical impulses in the brain with an EEG, skeletal and muscular movements with EMG, and eye movements with EOG

Question 4

Alertness

Answer 4

State of being awake, being attentive to what is going on within us and around us, and being able to think

Function of the interplay between the reticular formation and the prefrontal cortex of the brain

Question 5

Sleep Stage 1

Answer 5

EEG—primarily theta waves (low amplitude, irregular frequency)
EOG—slow, rolling eye movements
EMG—moderate muscular and skeletal activity

Question 6

Sleep Stage 2

Answer 6

EEG—theta waves interspersed with K-Complexes (high amplitude, low frequency waves) and Sleep Spindles (bursts of multiple high frequency, moderate amplitude waves)
EOG—no eye movement
EMG—moderate muscular and skeletal activity

heart rate, temperature, and respiration decreases

Question 7

Sleep Stage 3

Answer 7

Transition into slow wave sleep (SWS)

EEG—primarily delta waves (high amplitude, low frequency)
EOG—no eye movement
EMG—moderate muscular and skeletal activity

Question 8

Sleep Stage 4

Answer 8

EEG—low frequency waves
EOG—no eye movement
EMG—moderate muscular and skeletal activity

digestion and heart rate decrease

growth hormones are released

Question 9

REM (Rapid Eye Movement) Sleep

Answer 9

EEG—waves similar to beta waves(high frequency, low amplitude)
EOG—bursts of rapid eye movements
EMG—very low skeletal movement

stage of sleep when dreaming occurs

Question 10

Circadian Rhythm

Answer 10

24-hour cycle that regulates the daily progression from sleep to being awake and back to sleep

Question 11

Melatonin

Answer 11

Serotonin-derived hormone that causes sleepiness

Produced and released by the pineal gland when external light decreases

Question 12

Cortisol

Answer 12

Steroid hormone produced by the adrenal cortex

As external light increases, the hypothalamus releases corticotropin releasing factor (CRF), which causes the anterior pituitary gland to release adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which finally causes the adrenal cortex to release cortisol

Question 13

Activation-Synthesis Theory

Answer 13

Random activation of neurons, which can imitate sensory information being sent from receptors to the brain, causes dreams

Experiences, memories, and preoccupations are mixed in with the false sensations, creating the odd details experienced in dreams

Question 14

Problem-Solving Dream Theory

Answer 14

Dreams are a way for the brain to find solutions to problems without the constraints of reality

Question 15

Cognitive Dream Theory

Answer 15

Dreams are simply a stream-of-consciousness events that happen while an individual sleeps

Question 16

Freud’s Dream Theory

Answer 16

Dreams are divided into manifest content (plot lines and details of dreams) and latent content (hidden drives and desires that informed the manifest content)

Question 17

Types of Sleep Disorders

Answer 17

Dyssomnias—make it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep (include insomnia, narcolepsy, and sleep apnea)

Parasomnias—cause abnormal behaviors and movements during sleep(include sleep walking and night terrors)

Question 18

Insomnia

Answer 18

Difficulty or inability to fall asleep (most common sleep disorder)

Related to anxiety, depression, and certain medications

Question 19

Narcolepsy

Answer 19

Inability to avoid sleep; individual has no control of when they fall asleep

Symptoms include cataplexy, sleep paralysis, hypnagogic hallucinations, and hyponopomic hallucinations

Question 20

Cataplexy

Answer 20

When the body reacts to an emotional trigger and goes suddenly from being awake into REM sleep, causing total loss of muscle control

Question 21

Sleep Paralysis

Answer 21

Inability to move while an individual is awake but entering or leaving sleep

Question 22

Hypnagogic Hallucinations

Answer 22

Hallucinations which occur when an individual is falling asleep

Question 23

Hynopompic Hallucinations

Answer 23

Hallucinations which occur when an individual is waking up

Question 24

Sleep Apnea

Answer 24

Inability to breath while sleeping

Obstructive, caused by a physical blockage in the pharynx or trachea, or central, the brain does not send the proper signals to make the body breathe

Question 25

Alcohol

Answer 25

Most commonly used depressant

Stimulates the production of GABA, which leads to a feeling of euphoria

Question 26

Barbiturates and Benzodiazepines

Answer 26

Depressant that increases the production of GABA, which causes a feeling of relaxation

Question 27

Opioids

Answer 27

Depressants that are semisynthetic versions of opiates

Cause a sense of euphoria and a decreased reaction to pain by binding to opioid receptors in the nervous system

Question 28

Stimulants

Answer 28

Increase arousal in the nervous system by either increasing the release of a certain neurotransmitter, reducing the release of a certain neurotransmitter, or both

Question 29

Amphetamines

Answer 29

Release large amounts of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin while simultaneously inhibiting the reuptake of these neurotransmitters

Increase arousal, heart rate and blood pressure, and create effects of anxiety, delusions, euphoria, hypervigilance, and paranoia

Decrease appetite and the need for sleep

Question 30

Cocaine

Answer 30

Releases large amounts of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin

Creates an intense feeling of pleasure for a short period of time, which is followed by a depressive crash

Has vasoconstrictive properties

Question 31

MDMA/Ecstacy

Answer 31

Both an amphetamine and a mild hallucinogenic

Stimulates the release of dopamine and serotonin while simultaneously inhibiting the reuptake of serotonin

Causes emotional elevation, euphoric feelings, alertness, and a sense of wellbeing