Drugs for Sleep

Question 1

Depressant

Answer 1

a drug that reduces neuron activity and arousal

Question 2

Hypnotic

Answer 2

A drug that induces sleep/ stay asleep

Question 3

Stimulant

Answer 3

A drug that promotes wakefulness and arousal

Question 4

Synchronized neuron activity

Answer 4

has peaks and valleys at same periods of times

Question 5

electroencephalogram

Answer 5

measures electromagnetic activity of the cortex

Question 6

electromyogram

Answer 6

measures electromagnetic activity of muscles

Question 7

Sleep Stages are based on …

Answer 7

neural activity in the brain an and features of body physiology (muscle tone, heart rate, breathing rate, body temperature)

Question 8

Awake- EEG patterns

Answer 8

• irregular pattern of high frequency, low amplitude (low power) electrical activity
• Alpha activity predominates and beta activity occurs with focused thought and attention.

Question 9

N1 Light sleep EEG patterns

Answer 9

(theta activity begins to show) is light sleep with normal breathing and heart rate (brief)

Question 10

N2 sleep EEG patterns

Answer 10

shows sleep spindles, K complexes, and some delta waves. Breathing & heart rate slow, body temp drops.- (sleep spindle & K complex shows )

Question 11

N3 deep sleep EEG patterns

Answer 11

(characterized by long stretches of delta waves)- sometimes triggers seizures

Question 12

REM sleep

Answer 12

skeletal muscles are paralyzed, breathing shallow and faster. (EEG patterns similar to those of wake or light sleep)

Question 13

A typical sleep cycle is about …

Answer 13

90 mins

Question 14

Newborn sleep cycle

Answer 14

8 hours of REM, average 16 hours of sleep per day

Question 15

20 yr old sleep cycle

Answer 15

2 hours of REM, average of 8 hours of sleep per day

Question 16

80 yr old sleep cycle

Answer 16

45 minutes of REM, average of 6.5 hours of sleep per day

Question 17

Acute sleep deprivation causes …

Answer 17

cognitive impairments and increased emotionality (does not adversely affect other organs)

Question 18

Fatal familial insomnia

Answer 18

neurodegenerative disease affecting the thalamus and other brain regions, caused by a mutation in the PRNP gene. Midlife onset, progressive inability to sleep is fatal.

Question 19

Rechtshaffen experiment

Answer 19

rats deprived of sleep will die in 3-4 weeks – eat more, lose weight, cannot thermoregulate, death

Question 20

NREM sleep is important for:

Answer 20

1) fluids to move 3x faster within the brain
2) Clear the by-products of metabolic activity – glymphatic system

Question 21

Why do we dream?

Answer 21

• The brain can review & rehearse newly learned skills & facts.
  
  • Nightmares may serve a function of practicing one’s reaction to worst-case scenarios.

Question 22

External and Internal Factors that Affect Sleep Onset and Duration

Answer 22

• Environment (novelty & stress = dopamine & norepinephrine = wakefulness)
  
  • Release of melatonin from pineal gland
  • Body temperature
    Accumulation of adenosine (use of ATP) in CSF

Question 23

The main drug used to treat sleep problems

Answer 23

• Benzodiazepines increase GABA signaling by increasing the frequency of GABA channel opening

Question 24

2 benzodiazepines

Answer 24

1. diazepam
2. lorazepam

Question 25

Example of a barbiturates

Answer 25

phenobarbital

Question 26

Target of Benzos

Answer 26

amplify are “agonists” of the effects of GABA (allosteric modulators)

Question 27

Which class of drugs is considered safer, benzos or barbiturate?

Answer 27

Benzodiazepines are safer than barbiturates. They are less likely to cause a lethal overdose. There is also a drug that can counteract a benzodiazepine (called flumazenil)

Question 28

New pharmacotherapies for insomnia

Answer 28

• Melatonin receptor agonist – ramelteon – agonist for the two melatonin receptors MLT1 and MLT2.
  
  • FDA approved for treatment of primary insomnia.

Question 29

2 examples of barbiturates

Answer 29

phenobarbital and pentobarbital

Question 30

Mechanism of barbiturates

Answer 30

agonists of GABA receptor (allows receptor to stay open for longer)

Question 31

Mechanism of benzodiazepines

Answer 31

increases likelihood that GABA receptor will open

Question 32

5 examples of benzos

Answer 32

diazepam
clonazepam
lorazepam
zopiclone
zolpidem