P/S: States of Consciousness, Drugs

Question 1

What are Beta Waves associated with? Frequency Range?

Answer 1

alertness

13-30 Hz

associated with awake/concentration. Increased stress, anxiety, restlessness. Constant alertness.

Question 2

What are Alpha Waves associated with? Frequency Range?

Answer 2

Relaxation

8-13 Hz

in daydreaming. Disappear in drowsiness but reappear in deep sleep. During relaxation.

Question 3

What are Theta waves associated with? Frequency?

Answer 3

Drowsiness

7 Hz

Drowsiness, right after you fall asleep.

Question 4

What are delta waves associated with? Frequency?

Answer 4

Deep sleep or coma.

0.5-3 Hz

Question 5

What are the four waves that EEG detects? Frequencies?

Answer 5

1. Beta (13-30Hz) waves – associated with awake/concentration. Increased stress, anxiety, restlessness. Constant alertness.
2. Alpha waves (8-13 Hz) – in daydreaming. Disappear in drowsiness but reappear in deep sleep. During relaxation.
3. Theta waves (7 Hz) – Drowsiness, right after you fall asleep.
4. Delta waves (0.5-3 Hz) - Deep sleep or coma.

Question 6

What are the 3 stages of non REM sleep? What characterizes each stage?

Answer 6

1. N1 (Stage 1)– Dominated by theta waves. Strange sensations – hypnagonic hallucinations, hearing or seeing things that aren’t there.. ex. Seeing flash of light, or someone calling your name, doorbell, etc. Or the Tetris effect – if you play Tetris right before bed, you might see blocks. Also a feeling of falling – hypnic jerks. Theta waves.
2. N2 (Stage 2) – deeper stage of sleep. People in N2 are harder to awaken. We see more theta waves, as well as sleep spindles and K-complexes.
3. N3 (Stage 3) – slow wave sleep. Characterized by delta waves. Where walking/talking in sleep happens.

Question 7

When do sleep spindles and K-complexes occur? What do they do?

Answer 7

N2 (stage 2)

Sleep spindles: inhibit certain perceptions so we maintain a tranquil state during sleep, ability to sleep through loud noises.

K-complexes: supress cortical arousal and keep you asleep. Also help sleep-based memory consolidation.

Question 8

What hormone controls our circadean rhyhms?

Answer 8

Melatonin, produced by the pineal gland.

Question 9

How does Freud’s theory of dreams differ from the Activation Synthesis Hypothesis? (where is “actviation”? “synthesis”?)

Answer 9

• Sigmund Freud’s theory of dreams says dreams represent our unconscious feelings/thoughts. Like an iceberg.
  
  • 1. What happens? Manifest content. Ex. Monster chasing you
  • 2. What is hidden meaning? Latent content. Ex. Job pushing you out.
  • Can help us resolve and identify hidden conflict.
• Activation Synthesis Hypothesis
  
  • Brain gets a lot of neural impulses in brainstem, which is sometimes interpreted by the frontal cortex.
  • Brainstem = activation, and cortex = synthesis.
  • Our brain is simply trying to find meaning from random brain activity. Therefore might not have meaning.

Question 10

Distinguish between insomnia and narcolepsy.

Answer 10

• Insomnia - persistent trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. Various medications but taking them too long leads to dependence and tolerance.
  
  • Exercising or relaxing before bed can help
• Narcolepsy – can’t help themselves from falling asleep. Various fits of sleepiness, going into REM sleep. Can occur any time. 1 in 2000.
  
  • Indications it’s genetic, and linked to absence of alertness neurotransmitter.

Question 11

How do the dissociation theory and the social influence theory explain hypnotism?

Answer 11

• Dissociation Theory (hypnotism is an extreme form of divided consciousness) and the Social Influence Theory (people do and report what’s expected of them, like actors caught up in their roles)

Question 12

Name 3 depressants.

Answer 12

1. The most popular depressant is alcohol.
   
   • Think more slowly, disrupt REM sleep (and form memories), removes your inhibitions
2. Barbiturates – used to induce sleep or reduce anxiety. Depress your CNS.
   
   • Side effects are reduced memory, judgement and concentration, with alcohol can lead to death (most drugs w/ alcohol are bad)
3. Benzodiazepines are the most commonly prescribed suppressant. Sleep aids or anti-anxiety
   
   • Enhance your brain’s response to GABA. They open up GABA-activated chloride channels in your neurons, and make neurons more negatively charged.
   • 3 types: short, intermediate, and long-acting. Short and intermediate are usually for sleep, while long acting are for anxiety.

Question 13

What are opiates? What distinguishes them from depressants?

Answer 13

• Opiates are used to treat pain and anxiety. Ex. Heroine and morphine. NOT a depressant.
  
  • Used to treat pain because they act at body’s receptor sites for endorphins.
  • Depressants act on GABA receptors while opiates act on endorphin receptors.
  • Lead to euphoria, why taken recreationally

Question 14

Categorize the below as either stimulants or hallucinogens:

1. Ecstasy
2. LSD
3. Caffeine
4. Marijuana
5. Cocaine
6. Amphtemaines
7. Nicotine

Answer 14

1. Ecstasy - Hallucinogen
2. LSD - Hallucinogen
3. Caffeine - Stimulant
4. Marijuana - Hallucinogen
5. Cocaine - Stimulant
6. Amphtemaines - Stimulant
7. Nicotine - Stimulant

Question 15

Where does the ventral tegmental area send dopamine? What is this pathway called?

Answer 15

• VTA sends dopamine to the amygdala, nucleus accumbens (controls motor functions), prefrontal cortex (focus attention and planning), and hippocampus (memory formation).
• NAcc, amygdala and hippocampus are part of the mesolimbic pathway.

VTA releases dopamine and receptors uptake dopamine – amygdala says this was enjoyable, hippocampus remembers and says let’s do it again, and nucleus accumbens says let’s take another bite. Prefrontal cortex focuses attention to it.

Question 16

What hormone decreases when dopamine increases?

Answer 16

At same time dopamine goes up, serotonin goes down, partially responsible for feelings of satiation. Less likely to be satiated or content.