Chapter 3—Consciousness Flashcards
Consciousness
Awareness that we have of our surroundings, our internal states, and ourselves
Four States: alertness, sleep, dreaming, and altered states of consciousness
Sleep
State of consciousness in which the nervous system is relatively inactive and the normal brain activity that is typically during consciousness is suspended
Polysomnography (PSG)
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
Alertness
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
Sleep Stage 1
EEG—primarily theta waves (low amplitude, irregular frequency)
EOG—slow, rolling eye movements
EMG—moderate muscular and skeletal activity
Sleep Stage 2
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
Sleep Stage 3
Transition into slow wave sleep (SWS)
EEG—primarily delta waves (high amplitude, low frequency)
EOG—no eye movement
EMG—moderate muscular and skeletal activity
Sleep Stage 4
EEG—low frequency waves
EOG—no eye movement
EMG—moderate muscular and skeletal activity
digestion and heart rate decrease
growth hormones are released
REM (Rapid Eye Movement) Sleep
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
Circadian Rhythm
24-hour cycle that regulates the daily progression from sleep to being awake and back to sleep
Melatonin
Serotonin-derived hormone that causes sleepiness
Produced and released by the pineal gland when external light decreases
Cortisol
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
Activation-Synthesis Theory
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
Problem-Solving Dream Theory
Dreams are a way for the brain to find solutions to problems without the constraints of reality
Cognitive Dream Theory
Dreams are simply a stream-of-consciousness events that happen while an individual sleeps
Freud’s Dream Theory
Dreams are divided into manifest content (plot lines and details of dreams) and latent content (hidden drives and desires that informed the manifest content)
Types of Sleep Disorders
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)
Insomnia
Difficulty or inability to fall asleep (most common sleep disorder)
Related to anxiety, depression, and certain medications
Narcolepsy
Inability to avoid sleep; individual has no control of when they fall asleep
Symptoms include cataplexy, sleep paralysis, hypnagogic hallucinations, and hyponopomic hallucinations
Cataplexy
When the body reacts to an emotional trigger and goes suddenly from being awake into REM sleep, causing total loss of muscle control
Sleep Paralysis
Inability to move while an individual is awake but entering or leaving sleep
Hypnagogic Hallucinations
Hallucinations which occur when an individual is falling asleep
Hynopompic Hallucinations
Hallucinations which occur when an individual is waking up
Sleep Apnea
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
Alcohol
Most commonly used depressant
Stimulates the production of GABA, which leads to a feeling of euphoria
Barbiturates and Benzodiazepines
Depressant that increases the production of GABA, which causes a feeling of relaxation
Opioids
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
Stimulants
Increase arousal in the nervous system by either increasing the release of a certain neurotransmitter, reducing the release of a certain neurotransmitter, or both
Amphetamines
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
Cocaine
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
MDMA/Ecstacy
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
