Neurophys 3 Final Flashcards
Arousal systems in the brain appear to be determined by the interaction between what structures?
brainstem, hypothalamus, thalamus, and basal forebrain
Dampening of arousal systems w/concomitant (at the same time) active inhibition by thalamo-cortical systems produces _?
sleep
Name 3 areas that maintain wakefulness.
oral pontine reticular formation (glutamate), midbrain central tegmentum, posterior hypothalamus (histamine)
Name 3 sleep-promoting areas.
midline brainstem (raphe nuclei-serotonin), dorsolateral medullary reticular formation, anterior hypothalamic preoptic region (parasymp-conservation)
What is considered the sleep modulating center of the brain? what type of projections does it have? where does it project to?
Magnocellular nucleus basalis of Meynert (located in the forebrain); it has an intermingling of both sleep & waking active sites, & uses acetylcholine projections; it projects to neocortex & midbrain reticular formation
The caudal mesencephalic (cholinergic) and cells of the oral pontine reticular formation (glutaminergic) produce wakefulness & travel through ascending projections to the _ (using a dorsal pathway). These neurons also communicate w/the hypothalamus & basal forebrain using a _ pathway?
thalamus; ventral
What is a behavioral state that differs from wakefulness by a readily reversible loss of reactivity to events in one’s environment? What stages is it divided into?
Sleep; 1. electroencephalography (EEG) most commonly 2. electro-occulogram (EOG) 3. electromyogram (EMG)
Non-REM sleep aka? Which stage has high amplitude delta waves (20-50%) Which stage has theta, delta (low amplitude) horizontal eye drift? Which stage has high amplitude delta waves (>50%)? Which stage includes theta & delta waves, sleep spindles, & K complexes? Which 2 stages are light sleep?
aka slow wave sleep; Stage III; Stage I; Stage IV; Stage II; Stages I & II are considered light sleep while III & IV are deep sleep
What does REM stand for? The EEG resembles an awake state or NREM stage _? During REM, what is the result of the EMG activity?
rapid eye movement (REM); stage I; dramatic decrease in EMG activity
In REM, sleep is usually episodic, occurring roughly every _ minutes, and occurs for a _ time period than the previous REM cycle? During REM, how is one woken up from the deepest sleep? How is one woken up spontaneously from lighter sleep?
90 mins; longer time period than the previous REM cycle; external arousability for deepest sleep; internal arousability from lightest sleep
An electrical stimulation of this area of the brain produces slow wave brain sleep, and lesions here produce cortical desynchronization (waking pattern of EEG)?
nucleus tractus solitarius
Lesions in which area of the brain produce insomnia? Blocking which NT also produces insomnia?
serotonin-rich raphe nucleus; blocking production of serotonin can also produce insomnia, which can be done by parachlorophenylalanine (PCPA), a tryptophan hydroxylase inhibitor (tryptophan, found in Thanksgiving turkeys, has an abundance of serotonin & promotes sleep)
What is serotonin a precursor for? Sleepwalking aka? what type of stage is sleepwalking occuring during?
melatonin; somnambulism; occurs during slow wave sleep
Melatonin is synthesized & released by which brain area? Is it sympathetic/parasympathetic? What does melatonin enhance? Name a symptom that is treated w/melatonin.
pineal gland; sympathetic; melatonin enhances sleep (prolonged bright light stimulation suppresses melatonin & sleep); jet lag has been treated w/melatonin
Which area of brain appears to inhibit waking areas in the rostral midbrain & mesopontine reticular core?
preoptic nucleus of anterior hypothalamus
What is highly concentrated in the preoptic nucleus and induces both slow wave sleep and REM sleep? The anterior hypothalamus may also produce sleep by inhibiting the waking area in the __ __?
prostaglandin D2; posterior hypothalamus (histamine secreting)
What are rhythmic cortical waveforms generated by oscillatory activity in the nucleus reticularis of the thalamus? These, along w/delta waves, are physiologic events involving GABAergic neurons via inhibition promoting brain deafferentation (prevents senses from getting to cortex @ the level of the thalamus). what stimulate GABA receptors & facilitate sleep?
sleep spindles; sedatives (barbituates) & hypnotics (benzodiazepines)
REM sleep is read off of this diagnostic tool that becomes highly desynchronized during REM? REM sleep is associated w/these types of spikes, which themselves are associated w/many phasic events such as rapid eye movements, changes in respiration, heart rate, muscle twitches, and dreaming.
EEG; pontine geniculate occipital (PGO) spikes
PGO spikes originate from __ cells in medial pontine reticular formation & adjacent reticular tegmental nucleus? In animals, REM sleep has been eliminated by placing lesions ventral to which structure? REM-OFF cells are represented by noradrenergic cells of locus ceruleus which become _ during REM?
REM-ON; locus cereleus; silent
Many _ are REM suppressors, which increase activity of norepinephrine &/or serotonin. During REM, there is a progressive _ in muscle tone associated w/hyperpolarization of motor neurons? What is 30% greater in REM sleep?
antidepressants; decrease in muscle tone; Rheobase is 30% greater in REM (rheobase is a measure of membrane excitability, the threshold at which the stimulus causes a response); in essence, this rheobase being 30% higher during REM means it’s harder to excite those neurons when one is in REM sleep
What is the minimum time required for an electric current 2x the strength of the rheobase to stimulate a muscle or a neuron?
chronaxie
Normally, REM sleep is associated w/a progressive decrease in muscle tone associated w/hyperpolarization of motor neurons. However, in this disorder, there is persistent muscular tone during REM sleep, and it is characterized by bursts of excessive limb & body movements (although cause is unknown in humans).
REM behavior disorder
The use of _ in the 50’s & 60’s as sleeping pills proved unsatisfactory, as they led to addiction, dependence & disruption of normal sleep stages. Chronic users frequently became addicted & refractory to the drug, giving poorer sleeping habits.
barbituates
During sleep, what happens to brain & body temp? metabolism? what serves as an endogenous clock influencing both sleep & body temp in a closely-coupled fashion? brain metabolism decreases _% in slow wave sleep? what happens to cerebral blood flow during SWS (slow wave sleep)? what appears to be a somnogenic (sleep-producing) NT, which caffeine can block?
reduction of body & brain temp @ onset of sleep associated w/vasodilation; decrease in metabolism; suprachiasmatic nucleus; brain metabolism decreases 20-35% in SWS; cerebral blood flow decreases in SWS; adenosine is a somnogenic NT
Sleep onset is associated w/inhibition of _ & _, and stimulation of GH & prolactin.
TSH, cortisol
Name 3 functions of sleep.
- restores normal levels of brain activity & normal balance among different parts of the CNS (restores natural balance).
- physiologic effects on the rest of the body (decreases SNS, increased parasymp in SWS)
- enhanced immune function
There appears to be a link btwn. sleep & __ __? Sleep deprivation, a stressor, can raise _, can contribute to _ resistance, _ SWS, and individuals who sleep longer than _ hours are less likely to be obese than individuals who sleep less than 6 hours.
weight loss; raise cortisol (which increases insulin & produces fat storage); contributes to insulin resistance (high fat, high sugar diets-linked to obesity, CV disease, type II diabetes); decreases SWS (esp. stage III & IV NREM sleep, linked w/decreased levels of GH); longer than 9 hours
This hormone from the GI tract increases feelings of hunger, increases food intake, and promotes weight gain? This hormone from adipose tissue decreases drive for food intake, increases energy utilization, and promotes weight loss? increasing sleep will increase _ & decrease _?
ghrelin; leptin; increasing sleep increases leptin, decreases ghrelin
What disrupts normal brain function as there is uncontrolled excessive brain activity of either part or all of the CNS, an electrical storm? Predisposition is _ than incidence?
epilepsy (seizures); greater
Name some causes of epilepsy. What is the incidence? When do seizures terminate?
trauma, oxygen deprivation, tumors, infections, toxic states, strong emotional stimuli, alkalosis (hyperventilation), drugs, fever, loud noises/flashing lights (**1/2 cases of all seizures are unknown cause); incidence is .5-1% of the population (2nd MC neurological disease behind migraines); termination of a seizure happens w/neuronal fatigue & active inhibition
What is the 2nd MC neurological disease? what disease is MC?
epilepsy (seizures); MC is migraines
Name the different types of seizures. Which one is most global? Which one is the most severe form?
Grand Mal (tonic-clonic)- most global; Petite Mal (absence); psychomotor (focal); jacksonian; myoclonic; atonic; status epilepticus-worst form b/c it’s 24/7
Name the 4 stages of a Grand Mal seizure.
- Aura-altered sensation prior to seizure (tingling)
- Tonic phase- rigid body stiffening, loss of consciousness
- Tonic-clonic phase: strong muscle contractions & convulsions, over within minutes
- Post-ictal phase: return to consciousness; may be associated w/confusion, stupor, slurred speech, weakness
What are 4 ways to deal w/epilepsy?
- Chiropractic adjustments
- Vagal stimulator (decreases seizure frequency/severity
- Surgery: excision of epileptic foci
- Drugs, including phenobarbital, dilantin, tegratol, and depekene (valproic acid)
What is a change in EEG resulting from stimulation of a sensory pathway that is extracted from the EEG using computer averaging techniques? EEG is recorded during repetitive _ stimulation (tap on skin, flash of light). When does the computer sample the EEG?
Sensory Evoked Potential (EP); repetitive natural stimulation; computer samples the EEG before & after stimulation & sample data are averaged
What are Sensory EP’s clinically useful for?
sensory EP consist of multiple components related to various aspects of subcortical & cortical processing, so they are clinically useful for 1. assessing the function of sensory systems, or 2. evaluating demyelinating diseases (Multiple Sclerosis)
Destruction of myelin causes conduction velocity to _ which _ latencies.
decrease; increases
What is the phenomenon of increasing sensitivity of the nervous system (increasing neuroexcitability) due to multiple acute withdrawals of sedative-hypnotic drugs, such as alcohol & benzodiazepines? What symptoms/side effects can this cause?
Kindling; the increased neuroexcitability may result in increased seizures. An intensification of anxiety & other psychological symptoms can also occur. “kindling the nervous system”
Kindling: may underlie impulsivity associated w/binge drinking where there is kindling of the _ w/resultant distortion of neurotransmission. Who is most sensitive to the neuropsychological effects of binge drinking? What else can be associated w/alcohol withdrawal kindling?
amygdala; adolescents, females & young adults most sensitive to binge drinking; increased fear & anxiety & cognitive impairments also associated
Kindling: the mechanisms of neurotoxicity & kindling of neurotransmission systems is thought to be due to alcohol’s acute effects on _ enhancement and _ suppression?
GABAergic enhancement (inhibitory); NMDA suppression - process: CNS depression-tolerance-rebound effect-hyper-excitability state; if this hyperexcitability state occurs mutliple times, kindling & possible neurotoxicity can occur
What affects core elements that define humanity (such as personality, goal-directed behavior, language, creativity, mood, emotion, abstract thinking, social organization), are considered neural disruptions that are probably complex, multiple, and not readily observable (occur at biomolecular/molecular level), and range from mild to severe?
Mental illnesses
Name 2 mild mental illnesses. Name some severe mental illnesses.
mild: OCD, antisocial personality
severe: dementias, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, anxiety disorders (panic attacks)
This severe mental illness means “shattered mind” and is characterized by a mixture of signs & symptoms of which no single one is necessarily present. There is a significant deterioration in functioning, an early onset in life, follows a relatively chronic course, and strikes 1% of the population worldwide.
schizophrenia (2-3% of the population has schizotypal personality disorder, a milder form without psychotic behavior
In schizophrenia, these symptoms are distortions or exaggerations of normal cognitive function where reality is incorrectly interpreted? What are 4 of these symptoms?
positive symptoms;
- delusions (wrong beliefs not supported by facts & not changed by evidence)
- hallucinations-perceptions occuring without an external stimulus (“a higher voice told me to do it”)
- bizarre behavior
- illogical thinking (loss of normal connections or associations between ideas (derailment) resulting in incoherent thoughts & speech
In schizophrenia, is the disease dominated by positive or negative symptoms and impairs the person’s functionability more? Which symptoms are associated w/excessive mesolimbic activity? associated w/excessive mesocortical activity? which symptoms are more episodic?
dominated by negative symptoms (in terms of total amount of time); positive & mesolimbic; negative & mesocortical; positive = more episodic
In schizophrenia, which symptoms are a loss or decrease of normal functions? What are 5 of these symptoms?
negative symptoms;
- alogoria-poverty of speech or empty content
- flat affect-decrease in ability to express emotion
- anhedonia-inability to experience pleasure (as hedonists are pleasure-seeking)
- avolition-inability to initiate or persist in goal-directed behavior
- attentional impairment
This “subset” of negative symptoms includes poor attention, is chronic & persistent (which are the most difficult aspects of the disease to manage), and has deficits in working memory (involving the prefrontal cortex where one cannot organize the day or planning/carrying out a sequence of events).
cognitive symptoms
Name the 3 forms of symptoms associated w/schizophrenia.
- positive symptoms
- negative symptoms (worst, most frequent)
- cognitive symptoms (subset of negative)
In this severe mental illness, there is anatomical abnormalities that include an enlargement of ventricles & prominent sulci due to abnormal brain development. There is a mix of genes & environment that are causative factors, and it’s said to be a disease of abnormal neural connectivity during final maturation of the brain.
schizophrenia
In genetic causes of schizophrenia, what is the concordance in monozygotic twins, meaning the second twin will develop it also? What about the concordance in dizygotic twins? What are some non-genetic factors associated w/schizophrenia?
40%; 10%; poor nutrition (gluten connection), infections during pregnancy/childhood, toxins that damage neurons or affects NT systems, and radiation that produces mutations
What is the working hypothesis between dopamine & schizophrenia?
It is thought that in patients w/schizophrenia, there is increased levels of dopamine metabolites
Name 3 mood disorders.
- Depression
- Mania
- Anxiety disorders