EEG, Sleep and Circadian Rhythms Flashcards

1
Q

Where does the process of sleep originate from

A

The reticular formation of the brain stem

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2
Q

What is the function of the reticular formation

A

An area that controls the state of consciousness

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3
Q

If brain stem was destroyed at the level of the midpons what would occur

A

Brain never sleeps

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4
Q

How does the reticular formation promote sleep

A

Inhibitory impulses to thalamus and higher cortical areas to dampen down activity in cortex and put in state of unawareness

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5
Q

What are many neurones within the reticular formation,

A

Serotonergic

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6
Q

What is serotonergic

A

a nerve ending that releases and is stimulated by serotonin

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7
Q

What neurotransmitter is critical for sleep induction

A

Serotonin

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8
Q

What is serotonin a precursor of

A

Melatonin

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9
Q

What induces natural sleep

A

Serotonin

Melatonin

Sleep inducing peptides (isolated from CSF of a different sleep deprived animal)

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10
Q

How is the hypothalamus involved in the induction of sleep

A

Due to suprachiasmatic nuclei lying just above the optic chiasma creating a 24hr circadian rhythm

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11
Q

What causes the the electrical stimulation of the SCN that promotes sleep

A

Darkness - when light stops hitting the back of the retina

nerve fibres in the optic nerve pass to SCN

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12
Q

What does the electrical stimulation of the SCN stimulate

A

The release of melatonin from the pineal gland - which corresponds to the sleepiness in humans

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13
Q

What neurotransmitter does the hypothalamus release thats required for wakefulness

A

The excretory neurotransmitter - orexin (aka hypocretin)

Active during wake state and stop firing during sleep

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14
Q

What does defective orexin signalling cause

A

Narcolepsy - suddenly fall asleep

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15
Q

How is the wakefulness cycle sustained for many hours

A

Excitatory neurons in the Ascending Reticular Activating System (ARAS), are released from Sleep Centres in Reticular Formation stimulating excretory pathways in both CNS and PNS creating a positive feedback loop

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16
Q

What occurs for sleep cycle to occur from wakefulness cycle

A

Active cells become fatigues causing excretory signals to fade, so inhibitory peptide signals from sleep centres in the reticular formation dominate weakened excretory signal and lead to progression into sleep state

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17
Q

How is sleep cycle overthrown from wakeful cycle

A

Inhibitory cells fatigue and excretory cells are reinvigorated

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18
Q

What is the two methods to asses level of consciousness in an awake person

A

Look at their behaviour/alertness/skills /ability

EEG - record patterns of brain activity

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19
Q

What occurs in an EEG

A

Electrodes placed on scalp to record activity of underlying neurones

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20
Q

What are brain waves from EEG analysed by

A

Amplitude - size of the wave

Frequency - number of waves per second

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21
Q

Frequency is the most important factor of brain activity so what is the affect of Increased neuronal excitation on it

A

Frequency increased with neuronal excitation

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22
Q

What are the four main types of brain waves patterns recored on an EEG

A

Alpha

Beta

Theta

Delta

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23
Q

What causes the various characteristic of wave pattern

A

Different states of consciousness

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24
Q

What is the characteristics of alpha waves

A

High frequency and high amplitude

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25
Q

What is the characteristic of beta waves

A

The highest frequency and low amplitude

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26
Q

What waves are involved in a relaxed awake state

A

Alpha waves

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27
Q

What waves are a involved in alert wake state

A

Beta waves

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28
Q

Why do you have a higher amplitude of waves in a relaxed state

A

Not music info coming into the brain so waves are sync with each other, therefore add together give a larger wave

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29
Q

Why do you have a high frequency and low amplitude in a alert state

A

Alert state means you have lots of info coming into the brain giving a greater frequency and this means waves become asynchronous and cancel each other out creating a lower amplitude

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30
Q

What is theta waves characterised by

A

Low frequency and varies enormously in amplitude

31
Q

When is theta waves common

A

Children,

Times of emotional stress and frustration in adults

32
Q

What are delta waves characterised by

A

Low frequency but high amplitude

33
Q

What waves are seen in sleep of both adults and children

A

Theta waves

34
Q

What waves are seen in deep sleep

A

Delta waves

35
Q

How many stages occur in a sleep cycle

A

5

36
Q

What occurs in stage 1 of sleep cycle

A

Slow wave, non-REM, S-sleep.

Slow eye movements.

Light sleep. Easily roused.

High amplitude, low frequency theta waves.

37
Q

What occurs in stage 2 of sleep cycle

A

Eye movements stop.

Frequency slows further but EEG shows bursts of rapid waves called “sleep spindles”
(clusters of rhythmic waves, ~12-14Hz)

38
Q

What occurs in stage 3 sleep cycle

A

High amplitude, very slow (2Hz) delta waves interspersed with short episodes of faster waves, spindle activity declines.

39
Q

What occurs during stage 4 of sleep cycle

A

exclusively delta waves

40
Q

What occurs during stage 5 of sleep cycle

A

REM sleep - during which there are rapid eye movements (paradoxical sleep)

41
Q

What occurs during REM sleep

A

Dreams

- if spontaneously awaken in the morning during this stage of sleep will vividly recall dreams

42
Q

What percentage of sleep is REM

A

25% of sleep is REM

43
Q

When does deep sleep occur - become difficult to rouse

A

From stage 3 -4

44
Q

What is stage 1-4 classified as

A

Slow wave sleep

45
Q

How is REM sleep characterised

A

Fast waves, similar to those of awake state

46
Q

When the amplitude is the highest in sleep what does this indicate

A

deep sleep

47
Q

What is the 4 physiological characteristic of deep, slow wave sleep

A

Deep sleep that occurs in the first hours of sleep

Most restful type of sleep

Associated with decreased vascular tone (and therefore BP), respiratory and basal metabolic rate (hence drop in BT)

Dreams may occur but are rarely remembered

48
Q

Why is the term paradoxical sleep used

A

Due to REM sleep occurring which is very similar to awake state as mimics the beta waves

49
Q

How frequent and long does REM sleep last

A

Lasts 5-30mins every 90mins or so during a normal nights sleep, becomes more frequent as night progresses

50
Q

How does inhibition of all other skeletal muscles (minus eye muscle) occur in REM sleep

A

Due to inhibitory projections from pons to spinal cord

51
Q

What pathway is REM sleep dependent on

A

Cholingeric pathway within the reticular formation

52
Q

Where does the REM pathways projections go

A

Thalamus
Hypothlamus
Cortex

53
Q

What is the affect of anticholinesterases

A

Increase time spent in REM sleep

54
Q

What is REMs affect on Heart /respiration rate and brain metabolism

A

HR/RR become irregular

Brain metabolism increases

55
Q

What occurs if you are deprived of REM sleep and what does this show

A

there is always a catch up when able to sleep again indicating that REM sleep must have an important physiological function

56
Q

What is 4 features are demonstrated in sleep deprived subjects

A

Impairment of cognitive function
Impairment of physical performance
Sluggishness
Irritability

57
Q

What can occur with severe sleep deprivation

A

Psychosis

Death

58
Q

What important functions does sleep support

A

Neuronal plasticity

Learning and memory

Cognition

Clearance of waste products from CNS

Conservation of whole body energy

Immune function (when ill, increase sleep)

59
Q

What are sleep changes seen over a lifetime

A

Total sleep time decrease rapidly through childhood and adolescence

Percentage of REM sleep declines

60
Q

What is the percentage of REM sleep over lifetime

A

80% in 10 week premature infant,
50% at full term declining to a stable 25% in adulthood

Can be absent by 80+years

61
Q

Why is total time asleep greatest during development

A

Brain maturation and synaptic formation is occurring rapidly

62
Q

Name 5 sleep disorders

A

Insomnia

Night mares

Night terrors

Somnambulism (sleep-walking)

Narcolepsy

63
Q

Define insomnia

A

a “chronic inability to obtain the necessary amount or quality of sleep to maintain adequate daytime behaviour

64
Q

What is the two types of insomnia

A

chronic, primary insomnia

temporary, secondary insomnia

65
Q

In chronic insomnia there is no identifiable cause, but what is the potential cause of temporary insomnia

A

Pain
Bereavement
Or other crisis

66
Q

What occurs during a nightmare

A

Nightmares have a strong visual component and are seen during REM sleep, typically occurring quite far on through the night. Waking will stop the nightmare and the individual will have a clear recollection of the “dream”

67
Q

When do night terrors occur

A

Deep, delta sleep

common in children 3-8 years

Occurring early in the night

68
Q

What occurs in night terrors

A

Children thrash and scream and may sit or stand up with their eyes open but are not properly awake and often fail to recognise their parents.

The child does not remember the episode on waking the following morning.

69
Q

When does Somnambulism (Sleep-walking) occur

A

Stage 4 deep sleep

non REM sleep

70
Q

Why is sleep walking more common in children and young adults

A

due to the decline in Stage 4 sleep with age

71
Q

What occurs in Somnambulism (Sleep-walking)

A

Somnambulists walk with their eyes open, can see and will avoid objects, can carry out reasonably complex task such as prepare food and will often obey instructions but have no recall of the episode when woken

72
Q

What occurs in narcolepsy

A

Patients enter directly into REM sleep with little warning.

Symptoms could be interpreted as intrusion of REM sleep characteristics onto the waking state

73
Q

How is circadian rhythm lost if SCN is destroyed

A

due to the loss of melatonin signalling and disruption of orexin signalling in the hypothalamus

74
Q

How can blind people form a circadian rhythm from the SCN as don’t have eternal cues such as light and dark cycles

A

wakefulness normally being stimulated in the morning, when orexin level rises and sleep occurring at night, when orexin levels fall