L5 Flashcards
1
Q
What is Consciousness?
A
- Awareness of internal(mental) and external(environmental) events or stimuli
- a knowledge of being and subjective experiences
- e.g. self-awareness develops around 18-month old when infants recognize themselves in the mirror - state of wakefulness
- more characterized by sensory perception
- varying levels of information processing
2
Q
Nature of consciousness
A
- not all-or-none phenomenon but a continuum of different levels
- Awareness = cortico-thalamo network
- wakefulness = brainstem
3
Q
levels of consciousness by Freud
A
- conscious: part of the mind that is being aware of
- unconscious: part of the mind that is kept away from awareness
- preconscious: memories that are not currently activated but are ready to be recalled
- e.g. what you had for breakfast today, someone’s phone number - subconscious: a store of information that operates below conscious awareness and influences out automatic responses
- e.g. intuition, implicit belief
4
Q
how to measure consciousness
A
- Electroencephalogram (EEG)!!!
- best physiological index of variations in consciousness
- measure electrical activity (brain wave) from the brain cortex ( the outer layer of the cerebrum) over time
5
Q
brain waves in sleep and wakefulness
A
1.beta: normal waking though, alert problem solving
2. alpha: deep relaxation, blank mind, meditation
3. theta: light sleep
4. delta: deep sleep
5. frequencies decreases
5. depends on amplitude and frequency
6
Q
other neuroimaging techniques
A
- PET scans (positron-emission tomography)
- CT scans (computerized tomography)
- MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
7
Q
what is Biological Clock/ body clock
A
- biological rhythm
- periodic fluctuations in physiological functioning
- people generally fall asleep as their body temperature begins to drop (after 7pm) and awaken as it begins to ascend once again (after 6 am)
- matches with the day and night -> circadian rhythm - recall the graph about
- alertness
- core body temperature
- secretion of growth hormone
8
Q
what is circadian rhythm
A
- bodily biological changes that repeat every day (24hour)
- e.g. your stomach calls you to eat at 9am, 12nn, 8pm
- e.g. you have sleep desire at 9pm (as your body temperature drops) - governed by:
- internal brain structure: hypothalamus (for altering consciousness)
- external environmental factors, e.g. temperature and lightness of the surroundings - recall the circle of time and body changes
- 04.30: lowest body temperature
- 06.45: sharpest rise in blood pressure
- 18.30: highest blood pressure and body temperature
- 21.00: melatonin secretion starts
9
Q
what is chronotype
A
- chronotype is a classification system that is unique to your genetics
- human beings all have our own circadian rhythm
- it can help you understand when you are most active during the day to optimize your sleep routine and boost your productivity
10
Q
morning and evening people
A
- cycle can differ between people and lead to different patterns of wakefulness and alertness
- changes as a function of time
- young children are morning people
- adolescents are often night people - as an adult, it partially depends upon genetics
11
Q
four chronotypes
A
- most people can associate with one of four animal chronotype categories
- bear, lion, wolf, dolphin
- benefits of knowing your chronotype
- you can adjust your life to take advantage of your internal clock ad utilize better times for eating, working and even for intimacy
- choosing the very best times to sleep will give you extra energy and vitality during the day
12
Q
Circadian rhythm and sleep
A
- sleep is believed to be regulated by:
- brain structure called SCN- sensitive to light received by the eyes
- secretion of melatonin - increases at night but lower in daytime
- enhance desire to sleep
- temperature - lower to sleep but increase to wake up
- sensitive to light received by the eyes
- think about in daily life
- jet lag / shift rotation
- how do these relate to circadian rhythm
13
Q
how does daily life such as jet lag/shift rotation relate to circadian rhythm
A
- when your biological clock is not compatible with the environment, your consciousness will be compromised
- for example
- you go to a place with 6-hour time lag and you are at 5pm now
- your clock tells you its time to bed (11pm)
- melatonin increases at usual but light goes to your eyes
SCN activates and tried to suppress the melatonin secretion
14
Q
sleep cycle
A
- people usually think sleep is a uniform state of physical and mental inactivity (wrong)
- the brain is “turned off” - in a typical night of sleep, brain activities (measured by EEG) and other bodily changes show cycles of activities that repeat several times throughout the night
- brain waves
15
Q
Sleep: non-REM and REM stage
A
- Non-REM
- stage 1- light sleep
- last for 1-7 minutes
- theta wave (low amplitude, low frequency)
- stage 2 - bodily responses decline
- last for about 10-25 minutes
- “sleep spindle” (high frequency)
- stage 3 + 4
-slow-wave sleep (deep sleep) - last for about 30 minutes
- delta wave (high amplitude, low frequency)
- REM
- stage 5- Rapid eye movement (REM)
- muscle extremely relaxed, sleeper virtually paralyzed, irregular breathing and pulse rate
- beta wave (low amplitude, high frequency)
16
Q
Non-Rem and REM sleep description
A
- brain waves of REM
- believed to be related to dream
- 80-90% waken in sleep lab during REM also reported dreaming
- Non-REM
- body: relaxed
brain activity: inactive - REM
- body: immobile
- brain activity: ACTIVE - think: why do some poeple say about their experience of “being slept on by ghosts”?
17
Q
sleep cycle
A
- last for about 90 minutes
- 1 -> 2 -> 3 -> 4 -> 5!!! -> 4 -> 3 -> 2 -> 3 -> 4 -> 5!!! -> 4 -> 3 -> 2 -> 1
- a fast low-voltage brain wave characterizes wakefulness
- the last REM period of the night has the fastest eye movements and may be the period from which dreams are best remembered
18
Q
need for sleep
A
- an average of 8.5 per nights
- REM sleep decreases over the life span
- infants: 50%
- adults: 20%
- elderly: 15%- REM sleep helps secrete growth hormone
19
Q
deprivation of sleep
A
- deprivation of REM sleep
- irritability, increased anxiety and impaired concentration
- serious impairment in memory, attention, and can even cause hallucination
- more need for deep or REM sleep
- “Rebound effect”!!! : higher desire when more deprived - functions of sleep (2 hypotheses)
- conservation of energy (increase in glucose in brain)
- restoration of physical (production of immune cells) and mental functioning (connecting of neuron bonding)
20
Q
REM and NERM sleep functions (physical and mental activities)
A
- vigorous physical activities increases NREM
- mental activities (e.g. new learning) increase REM
- REM and NREM serves different functions
- NREM has more to do with bodily functioning
- REM has more to do with mental activities
21
Q
Sleep well: biological approach
A
- medication!
- sedatives may reduce REM
- Melatonin: resynchronize the biological clock- side effects: dependency
- light therapy
- exposure to bright light: SCN makes you alert
22
Q
Sleep well: traditional or folk beliefs
A
- traditional beliefs
- reduce stress- diaphragmatic breathing!!!
- relaxing atmosphere
- lifestyle medicine
- exercise, proper diet, reduce caffeine, warm bath, avoid nap
23
Q
other sleep problems
A
- narcolepsy
- goes directly from wakefulness to REM - sleep apnea
- reflexive gasping
- stop breathing for minimum for 10 seconds - sleep walking
- occur during first 2 hours, in slow-wave sleep (stage 3/4)
- unknown causes
- safe to awake the sleepwalker
24
Q
what are dreams
A
- an universal human experience that can be described as a state of consciousness
- characterized by sensory, cognitive and emotional occurrences during sleep - dreamers have reduced control over the content, visual images and activation of the memory
25
Q
blind people dream
A
- innate
- not able to see any images, but have equally amount of involving their other senses and emotions - acquired
- able to see images in their dream
26
Q
types of dreams
A
- daydreams
- lucid dreams
- nightmares
- recurring dreams
- epic dreams
- deja vu
27
Q
dayream
A
- day dreaming occurs when you are half awake, and it is the imagining or remembering of images or experiences in the past or future
28
Q
lucid dreams
A
- lucid dreams occur when you realize you are dreaming
- dreamer can reassure that him/herself that it is only a dream and that he or she will soon awaken
29
Q
nightmare
A
- nightmare is a disturbing dream that causes you to wake up feeling anxious and frightened
- nightmares may also occur because you have ignored or refused to accept a particular life situation
30
Q
recurring dreams
A
- recurring dreams repeat themselves with little variation in story or theme
- these dreams may be positive, but most often they are nightmarish in content
31
Q
epic dreams
A
- they are so memorable and vivid, that we simply cannot ignore them
- its details remain in your memory for years, as if you have dreamt it last night
32
Q
deja vu
A
- when a person has done something and they experience the same feelings or the feeling that one has lived through the present situation before
33
Q
functions and theories of dreams
A
- what people dream about
- certain themes are very common- sex, aggression, misfortune…usually personal things
- related to daily life experience
- freud called it “day residue!!!!!”
- sex, aggression, misfortune…usually personal things
34
Q
studies about dream
A
- as day residue or simply a suppression?
- study by Wegner in a sleep lab- half people are asked to avoid thinking about a certain person before falling asleep
- half people are asked to deliberately think about that person before falling asleep
- results: those suppressed would come up in dreams more
- affected by external stimuli?
- study by Dement in a sleep lab- half people are sprayed water on one hand when they are in REM sleep while the rest half are not results: 42% included water in the dream, such as rainfall, baths or floods etc
35
Q
why do people dream
A
- freud: dreams as wish fulfillment
- the day residue shapes dreams that satisfy unconscious needs - cartwright: the problem-solving view
- we think through major problems in our lives - Hobson: activation synthesis model
- a story is created to make sense of internal signals
36
Q
dreams are wish fulfillment
A
- sigmund freud
- psychoanalysis: dream analysis
- interpretation of dream contents - a way to fulfill unconscious wishes!!!
- a person who is sexually frustrated tend to have highly erotic dreams
- an unsuccessful person dream about great accomplishment - dreams contain symbols that has meaning
- symbols are HARMLESS and NOT THREATENING
- dream can protect us from threatening unconscious thoughts - Freud believed (1900):
- male sex symbols: long objects, sticks, umbrellas, and pencils
- female sex symbols: hollow things, caves, jars and keyholes
37
Q
dream as problem-solving
A
- continuity between waking and sleeping though
- allow people to engage in creative thinking as dreams are not restrained by logics or realism
38
Q
activations-synthesis hypothesis
A
- activation
- random neural activation in REM sleep from the inner part of brain to cortex - synthesis
- cerebral cortex constructs dreams to make sense of the signals
