Lecture 12: Sleep Medicine Part I Flashcards
What is the suprachiasmatic nucleus?
The master clock of the brain
Present in the hypothalamus
Controls circadian rhythms
Each SCN is an individual oscillator based on a fundamental negative feedback loop
-factors stimulate transcription of genes encoding proteins
-As the proteins accumulate, they act as transcriptional repressors of their genes
-this takes one 24 hour cycle
SCN does this even in absence of light-dark cycle
What is the significance of the circadian system?
Earth’s orbital mechanics are instantiated in (and entrain) a circadian genetic “clock” and sleep need in the human brain
-unrelenting
Circadian clocks are based on negative feedback loops of SCN
Circadian system interacts with homeostatic system that regulates sleep need
What is wrong with our society today?
Society has led to self-imposed conflict between our desire to be awake 24/7 and biological imperative of sleep
What is the significance of the fact that the SCN (circadian clock) is a wake-promoting system?
It means that at certain times of the day, it sends out more wake signals than others…
-the homeostatic drive for sleep coupled with low awake signals from SCN leads to sleep
What is the significance of the nonlinear profiles produced by the interaction between need for sleep and circadian drives?
Since performance is predicated on wakefulness, the nonlinearity of the relationship makes it difficult to make simple work-hour rules relative to performance and safety during
-working for 16 hours and going to the beach for 16 hours is the same shit in your brain…all awake process
What is the significance of melanopsin cells?
Photoreceptors in retinal ganglion cell layers that transmit information about the environmental timing of Earth’s light to SCN
Blue light = awake
-light intensity and durating/timing also plays a role
What hormones do SCN control?
Melatonin
More melatonin = go to sleep
Cortisol
More cortisol = wake up
What is the purpose of melatonin?
More melatonin = go to sleep
What is the purpose of Cortisol?
More cortisol = wake the fuck up
Where can circadian clocks be found in our body?
Circadian clocks can be found in ALL tissues throughout all major organ systems
SCN is the master clock that entrains all other peripheral physiologic oscillators
What does the ability to fall asleep and remain asleep depend on?
Whether or not you are in right circadian phase
If you are in the WRONG circadian phase while sleeping, then you have disturbed sleep
What is harder? Working 30 hours straight or doing 4 straight night shifts?
Working 30 hours than 4 to 5 days of night work
Because we don’t adjust to night work
Night shifts = carcinogenic
How prevalent is sleep in animal kingdom?
It is everywhere
What is polysomnography?
Surface electrophysiological recordings of
i. brain waves (EEG) ii. eye movements (EOG) iii. muscle activity iv. heart rate v. respiration vi. behavior
What are the three aspects of sleep “recovery”?
- Adequate sleep CONTINUITY
- Adequate sleep DEPTH or intensity as seen in slow wave activity (SWA)
- Adequate sleep DURATION
What is the characteristic of REM sleep?
EEG waves look like waking EEG
- no thermoregulation
- REM dreams = bizarre, movement based
- paralyzed
- used for procedural memory