Consciousness Flashcards
What is the definition of consciousness?
Ones subjective experience of the world, resulting from brain activity.
What are the symptoms of unresponsive wakefullness syndrome?
People appear to have emerged from coma, yet do not respond to external stimuli for more than a month (vegetative state)
-minimally conscious state
Explain brain death.
No activity in any region of the brain.
What are the symptoms of the locked-in syndrome?
All/nearly all of a persons voluntary muscles are paralyzed.
Explain and give an examples of automatic and controlled processing.
Automatic - driving
Controlled - driving during a rainstorm
When does an object produce stronger attentional response?
When it is socially relevant.
How is the failure to notice large changes in ones environment called?
Change blindness.
What is the idea behind the “Global workspace theory”?
Consciousness occurs when different brain areas form coalitions.
What is subliminal perception?
Perception that occurs when stimuli get processed by sensory systems but do not reach consciousness.
How is the biological pattern influenced by the regular cycles of light and dark called?
Circadian rhythm.
Which part of the brain detects information about light?
Suprachiasmatic nucleus.
Which hormone is secreted by the pineal gland to induce sleep?
Melatonin.
Describe the sleep cycle.
Beta waves = awake
Alpha waves = strong focus, closed eyes (just before sleep)
- Theta waves = light sleep (falling, fantastical images)
- Theta waves + sleep spindles + K complex (asleep)
- Delta waves = deep sleep
REM sleep
- Delta waves = deep sleep
After approx 90 minutes the sleep cycle repeats.
What is REM sleep?
Stage of sleep. Rapid eye movements, paralysis of motor systems, dreaming.
Which sleep disorder is best described by inability to sleep + causing significant problems in daily living?
Insomnia.
What are the symptoms of narcolepsy?
People experience excessive sleepiness during normal waking hours, sometimes collapsing.
Obstructive sleep apnea is:
A disorder in which a person (asleep) stops breathing because their throat closes.
What is somnambulism?
Sleepwalking.
What are the three theories that aim to answer the question of why we sleep?
- Restorative theory (body + brain rest and repair themselves)
- Circadian rhythm theory (evolution)
- Facilitation of learning (neural connections made during the day are strengthened during sleep)
How do REM dreams and non-REM dreams differ?
REM - vivid, intense emotions, bizzare
non-REM - dull
Which parts of the brain are activated/deactivated during REM sleep?
Activated - amygdala, visual association areas, motor cortex, brain stem
Deactivated - prefrontal cortex (ratio, self-awareness)
Explain the activation synthesis theory.
A theory of dreaming proposes that the brain tries to make sense of random brain activity that occurs during sleep by synthesizing the activity with stored memories.
Explain the sociocognitive theory of hypnosis.
Hypnotized people behave as they expect hypnotized people to behave.
Hypnotic analgesia:
Form of pain reduction.
Describe the effect of stimulants, give examples and explain which neurotransmitter systems they affect.
Increased behavioral and mental activity, activation of sympathetic NS.
- amphetamine, methamphetamine, cocaine, nicotine, caffeine
- dopamine, norepinephrine, ACh
Describe the effect of depressants, give examples and explain which neurotransmitter systems they affect.
Decreased behavioral and mental activity.
- alcohol, anti-anxiety drugs
- GABA
Describe the effect of opioids, give examples and explain which neurotransmitter systems they affect.
Reduction of pain, pleasure.
- heroine, morphine, codeine
- endorphins
Describe the effect of psychedelics, give examples and explain which neurotransmitter systems they affect.
Alter thoughts or perceptions.
- lsd, shrooms, peyote, psilocybin
- serotonin
Which neurotransmitter affects/causes addiction and how?
Increased dopamine in synapses.
Which part of the brain causes the sensation of “craving”?
Insula.
