EEG, Sleep and Circadian Rhythms Flashcards
why does sleep occur?
active inhibitory processes that originate in the pons
what does electrical stimulation of the SCN promote?
sleep
what does damage to the SCN disrupt?
sleep-wake cycle
what does activity of the SCN stimulate release of?
of melatonin from the pineal gland
what else does the hypothalamus release?
releases an excitatory neurotransmitter orexin (aka hypocretin) which is required for wakefulness
when are orexin neurones active?
during the waking state and stop firing during sleep
what does defective orexin signalling cause?
narcolepsy
how does one asses the level of consciousness in an awake person?
Look at their behaviour, general alertness, speech patterns, speech content, reading, writing and calculating skills. Spell words backwards or count backwards
Record patterns of brain activity using ElectroEncepheloGram (EEG). EEG uses electrodes placed on the scalp to record activity of underlying neurons.
how are the waves measured?
Amplitude
Frequency
what is the amplitude?
size of the wave
what is the frequency?
number of waves per second
frequency …. with neural excitation
increases
what are the four main types of wave pattern?
alpha
beta
theta
delta
how is the EEG characterised in a relaxed awake state?
high frequency, high amplitude waves termed a waves.
how is the EEG characterised in an alert awake state?
by even higher frequency, low amplitude asynchronous waves termed B waves. Low amplitude comes about, not because of low activity, but precisely the opposite.
hhow are theta characterised by?
low frequency waves which can vary enormously in amplitude. They are common in children, and during times of emotional stress and frustration in adults. They also occur during sleep in both adults and children.
how are delta waves characterised?
have very low frequency but high amplitude. They occur in deep sleep
how many stages of the sleep cycle is there?
5
what is stage 1 of the sleep cycle?
Slow wave, non-REM, S-sleep. Slow eye movements. Light sleep. Easily roused. High amplitude, low frequency theta waves.
what is stage 2 of the sleep cycle
Eye movements stop. Frequency slows further but EEG shows bursts of rapid waves called “sleep spindles” (clusters of rhythmic waves, ~12-14Hz)