Module 4 Flashcards
Biological rhythms
internal rhythms of biological activity
Circadian rhythm
biological rhythm that takes place over a period of about 24 hours
Pineal gland
an endocrine structure that releases melatonin; involved in the regulation of various biological rhythms and of the immune system during sleep
Meta-analysis
a study that combines the results of many related studies
Which area of the brain is important for regulating REM sleep?
pons
REM sleep
characterized by darting movements of the eyes under closed eyelids; brain waves appear very similar to brain waves during wakefulness
Non-REM sleep
subdivided into four stages distinguished from each other and from wakefulness by characteristic patterns of brain waves
Stage 1 sleep
the period during which we drift off to sleep; alpha (low frequency and high amplitude) and theta (lower frequency and higher amplitude)
Stage 2 sleep
the body goes into a state of deep relaxation; theta waves still dominate the activity of the brain, but they are interrupted by brief bursts of activity known as sleep spindles
Sleep spindles
a rapid burst of higher frequency brain waves that may be important for learning and memory
Stages 3 and 4 sleep
often referred to as deep sleep or slow-wave sleep because these stages are characterized by low frequency, high amplitude delta waves
Stage 5 sleep (REM)
brain waves similar to those observed when a person is awake; this is the period of sleep in which dreaming occurs
Manifest content
the actual content, or storyline, of a dream
Latent content
refers to the hidden meaning of a dream
Activation-synthesis theory
constructed story to explain images from random neural activation
Information-processing model
dreams are a way to consolidate information
Collective unconscious
Carl Jung; a theoretical repository of information he believed to be shared by everyone; certain symbols in dreams reflected universal archetypes with meanings that are similar for all people regardless of culture or location
Cognitive-behavioral therapy
a type of psychotherapy that focuses on cognitive processes and problem behaviors
Parasomnia
unwanted, disruptive motor activity and/or experiences during sleep play a role
REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD)
occurs when the muscle paralysis associated with the REM sleep phase does not occur; high levels of physical activity during REM sleep, especially during disturbing dreams
Obstructive sleep apnea
an individual’s airway becomes blocked during sleep, and air is prevented from entering the lungs
Central sleep apnea
disruption in signals sent from the brain that regulate breathing cause periods of interrupted breathing
Depressant
a drug that tends to suppress central nervous system activity; alcohol, barbiturates, benzodiazepines; agonists of the GABA neurotransmitter system
Stimulants
drugs that tend to increase overall levels of neural activity; agonists of the dopamine neurotransmitter system; cocaine, amphetamines, cathinones (bath salts), MDMA (ecstasy), nicotine, caffeine
Opioids
a category of drugs that includes heroin, morphine, methadone, and codeine; have analgesic properties (decrease pain)
Hallucinogen
a class of drugs that results in profound alterations in sensory and perceptual experiences; mescaline and LSD (serotonin agonists), and PCP (angel dust) and ketamine (an animal anesthetic) act as antagonists of the NMDA glutamate receptor
