Consciousness Flashcards
Consciousness
one’s awareness of the world and existing in the world
Alertness
conscious state, able to think
- maintained by the PREFRONTAL CORTEX, communicating with the RETICULAR FORMATION
- the Awake Stage in the sleep cycle
SLEEP CYCLE – Awake and Relaxed
Beta waves – alert, concentrating on a mental task
Alpha waves – resting with eyes closed, awake
– More synchronized and slower than Beta waves
SLEEP CYCLE – Stages 1 and 2
Stages 1 and 2 correspond to NREM 1 and 2, officially asleep.
Stage 1 EEG: Theta waves – early stage sleep expressed as slower frequencies and higher voltages
Stage 2 EEG: Theta waves – same as stage 1 but distinguished by sleep spindles and k complexes
SLEEP CYCLE – Stages 3 and 4
Stages 3 and 4 are slow wave sleep NREM 3 and 4
Stage 3/4 EEG: Delta waves – super slow waves, low frequency, high voltage
– cognitive recovery, memory consolidation,
increased growth hormone release
SLEEP CYCLE – REM
interspersed between cycles of NREM
- mimics wakefulness, appears with Beta waves on an EEG, but muscles are paralyzed, heart rate and breathing pattern mimic that of an awake person
- associated with dreaming, important for consolidating memories on procedures and tasks
Circadian Rhythm
daily cycle of waking and sleeping, regulated by internal rhythms
- morning light stimulates CORTISOL
- evening darkness stimulates MELATONIN
Activation-Synthesis Theory
dreaming is random activity of neural circuitry – activation similar to sensory stimuli, consisting of stored memories, desires, needs.
Problem Solving Theory
dreams are a way to approach solving problems
Cognitive Process Dream Theory
wakefulness and dreaming have the same mental systems – quick shifts through stream of consciousness
Neurocognitive Models of Dreaming
seek to unify biological and psychological perspectives – correlating subjective dreaming with physiological changes simultaneously occurring
SLEEP DISORDERS – Dyssomnias
difficulty falling, staying, or avoiding sleep
Insomnia – inability to sleep
Narcolepsy – spontaneous sleep, sudden intrusion of REM, hallucinations
Sleep Apnea – failure to breathe during sleep
SLEEP DISORDERS – Parasomnias
abnormal movements or behaviors during sleep
Night Terrors – anxiety during slow wave sleep, high heart rate and rapid breathing
Sleep Walking – performance of waking tasks during slow wave sleep
Hypnosis
highly suggestible state – relaxed and concentrated
Meditation
quieting the mind – leads to decreased heart rate and blood pressure, appears as Theta waves or slow Alpha waves on an EEG
DRUGS – DEPRESSANTS
Inhibit the nervous system
– main inhibitory NT is GABA: opens Cl- channels, hyperpolarizing neurons and making action potentials more difficult
ALCOHOL: reduces inhibitions, euphoric (increases Dopamine), impairs reasoning/motor skills
BARBITURATES/BENZODIAZEPENES: xanax and valium
– anxiety medication, highly addictive
DRUGS – STIMULANTS
Promote NT activity in the synapse
– increase arousal and frequency of action potentials by promoting NT release, and decreasing NT reuptake
AMPHETAMINES: stimulate the release of Dopamine, Norepinephrine, Serotonin
COCAINE: decreases reuptake of Dopamine, remaining active for a longer period of time
- increases heart rate and blood pressure
- can be used as a local anesthetic in highly vascularized areas
MDMA: synthetic Amphetamine, a hallucinogen as well
DRUGS – OPIATES
OPIATES: consist of MORPHINE and CODEINE
OPIOIDS: synthetic, consist of OXYCODONE, HYDROCODONE, and HEROIN
– pain killers, bind Opioid receptors resulting in decreased pain and euphoria
DRUGS – HALLUCINOGENS
Distort reality and fantasy
- LSD, PEYOTE, MESCALINE, KETAMINE
- complex interaction of a variety of NT, especially Serotonin
- increase heart rate, blood pressure, pupil dilation, and body temperature
DRUGS – MARIJUANA
stimulant, depressant, and hallucinogen
– active ingredient is THC, acting on Cannabinoid receptors, Glycine receptors, and Opioid receptors causing an increase in GABA for neural inhibition, as well as Dopamine for pleasure.
Drug Addiction
- Dopaminergic Mesolimbic Reward Pathway
- Involves the Nucleus Accumbens and the Ventral Tegmental Area (NAcc//VTA), connected by the Medial Forebrain Bundle (MFB)
- this pathway is involved in motivational and emotional responses – positive reinforcement of substance abuse as drugs highjack the survival benefit pathway
