Consciousness Flashcards

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1
Q

What are the 2 theories of consciousness?

A
  • integrated information theory of consciousness
  • global workspace theory of consciousness
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2
Q

What is the integrated information theory of consciousness?

A
  • consciousness can be described as different
  • “levels”
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3
Q

What is the global workspace theory of consciousness?

A
  • changes in consciousness involve vigilance and wakefulness
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4
Q

What is the default mode network (DMN)?

A
  • brain is active even when not actively doing anything
  • main parts of the DMN: Prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate, angular gyrus
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5
Q

What is sleep?

A
  • sleep is a behavior, not the absence of behavior
  • Bremer showed that it is a coordinated activity from the brainstem, not the absence of activity
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6
Q

What are the functions of sleep?

A
  • memory consolidation (REM)
  • Song birds: playing their song during sleep leads to activity that matches them practicing their song
  • activity in the hippocampus during REM
  • amount of REM sleep increases after periods of training/learning
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7
Q

What is another function of sleep?

A
  • energy conservation (deep sleep)
  • we sleep to conserve energy: species that sleep more tend to have higher metabolic rates
    ~ as we age, metabolism goes down-as does the amount of sleep
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8
Q

What are the other proposed functions?

A
  • Brain development in children/teens
  • sleep may be a safe place to discharge emotions and relief from stresses
  • possibly needed for physical health
  • deep sleep = human growth
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9
Q

What are the stages of sleep?

A
  • slow wave sleep - stages 1-4
  • REM sleep
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10
Q

What are slow wave sleep stages 1-2?

A
  • mostly alpha, beta, and theta waves
  • K complexes in stage 2: response to environmental stimuli
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11
Q

What are the slow wave sleep stages 3-4?

A
  • mostly delta waves
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12
Q

What waves are in REM sleep?

A
  • beta and theta waves
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13
Q

How do we progress through the stages at night?

A
  • the first 4 hours contain more slow wave sleep
  • the second 4 hours contain more REM
  • REM episodes occur approximately every 90-120 minutes
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14
Q

What brain structures involved in sleep?

A
  • 2 main circuits involved in arousal
  • 1) one is focused on sleep
  • 2) one is focused on wakefulness: Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN) appears to mediate between the two
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15
Q

What are the 2 sleep structure?

A

Raphe Nuclei (pons) and gigantocellular tegmental field

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16
Q

What does the Raphe Nuclei do?

A
  • serotonergic network
  • activity seems to be linked to slow wave sleep
  • slow wave
17
Q

What does the Gigantocellular tegmental field?

A
  • acetylcholine based
  • activity linked to REM sleep
  • originates PGO waves (ponto-geniculo-occipital) that occur with eye movements
18
Q

What does the high level structures do in sleep?

A
  • preoptic area (hypothalamus)
  • receives serotonin from raphe nuclei
  • releases GABA to inhibit wakefulness structures
  • initiate sleep
19
Q

What are the low level structures in wakefulness?

A
  • locus coeruleus (pons): linked to norepinephrine network, activity linked to wakefulness
20
Q

What are the high level structures in wakefulness?

A
  • postier hypothalamus: this is the area that is inhibited by the preoptic area that leads to sleep
  • basal forebrain and thalamus likely also play a role in excitation of the cortical structures
21
Q

what processes that regulate when we sleep?

A
  • circadian rhythms
22
Q

What does our circadian rhythm do?

A
  • SCN is the likely center of circadian rhythms~retinohypothalamic tract sends info to it- allows for light to play a role
  • transplants of SCN establish donor rhythms in recipient animals
    ~ bred hamsters with 20 hour rhythms; transferred into normal hamsters; shorter cycles ensued
23
Q

What is the SCN activity and light/dark cycles?

A
  • the SCN is active during the day in both diurnal and nocturnal animals
  • SCN seems to tell animals whether it is day or night, but not cause specific behaviors
  • linked to the pineal gland~ secretes melatonin
24
Q

What are the geetic links to SCN?

A
  • light triggers the fluctuation of some proteins
    increasing and decreasing various proteins lead to sleep/wake cycles
25
Q

What are the processes that regulate when we sleep?

A
  • homeostasis debt: sleep pressure builds while you’re awake until you need to sleep, sleep pressure decreases while asleep
    ~ glycogen - ATP reserves/energy source
    ~ as the brain uses energy, ATP turns into adenosine
    ~ increased adenosine levels lead to slow wave sleep- adenosine inhibits wakefulness structures-glycogen levels build up during slow wave sleep
26
Q

What is insomnia?

A
  • a sleep disorder
  • usually treated with GABA agonists (Benzodiazepines) or melatonin agonists
27
Q

What is sleep apnea?

A
  • a sleep disorder
  • has obstructive vs central
    ~ obstructive = physical obstruction
    ~ central = brain signal issue
28
Q

What is narcolepsy?

A
  • a sleep disorder
  • excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, paralysis, and hallucinations
    -enters REM at inappropriate times: both throughout the day and nighttime cycles
29
Q

What are the causes of narcolepsy?

A
  • low hypocretin levels: possibly due to autoimmune issues
  • genetic link to possible
  • brain injuries to REM and wakefulness areas
30
Q

What are circadian rhythm’s disorders?

A
  • they are issues when your SCN and the light/dark cycle in the environment don’t align
  • advanced sleep-wake phase disorder: falls asleep too early and wakes up too early
  • delayed sleep wake phase disorder: falls asleep and wakes up too late