Sleep Flashcards
Endogenous circannual rhythm
generated rhythm that prepares species for seasonal changes
E.g. birds become restless in the spring when it’s time to migrate
Endogenous circadian rhythms
Last about a day
Typical sleep wake cycle
Human circadian rhythm does not adjust easily
Circadian rhythm that affect eating/drinking, urination, hormone secretion, metabolism, drug sensitivity, and other things
Circadian rhythms for mood
Endogenous
Biological clocks influence biological rhythms
E.g. internal to the individual
E.g. Circadian rhythm
Exogenous
Changes in the environment influence biological rhythms
Changes in cortisol throughout 24hrs
Decreases before nighttime
Increases across the night
Peaks when wake up in the morning, then begins to decrease
Changes in melatonin throughout 24hrs
Increases before bed (about 2-3hrs before)
Is high throughout nighttime
Decreases before wake up
Changes in growth hormone throughout 24hrs
Increases sharply at beginning of night
Decreases with time over sleep
Low during the day
Changes in heart rate throughout 24hrs
Decreases as approach bedtime
Slowest when sleeping
Increases as wake up in morning
Changes in temperature throughout 24hrs
Increases before bed
Decreases during nighttime
Increases once wake up
Changes in cell replication throughout 24hrs
Increase at night
Decrease during the day
Zeitgeber
Stimulus that resets the circadian rhythm (aka time giver)
External cues that keep you in sync (entrained) with the environment’s cycles
Light is dominant zeitgeber for land animals (electric less effective)
Tide is dominant for marine animals
Others: exercise, meals, temperature
NOT social stimuli unless involves one of the above
Circadian rhythm in blind people
Some set circadian rhythms by noise, temperature, meals, activity
Others not sensitive to these produce rhythms longer than 24hrs
More than half of blind people report sleep problems
Can be one of most burdensome aspects of blindness
Drift out of phase with desired time for sleeping
Melatonin can help them stay on normal schedule
Jet Lag
Disruption of circadian rhythms due to crossing time zones
Difficulting initiating/maintaining nighttime sleep, daytime sleepiness, decreases alertness, loss of concentration, impaired performance, fatigue, irritability, disorientation, depressed mood, gastrointestinal disturbance
Increases cortisol which can damage hippocampus
Phase Delay
Stay awake later and then awaken late next morning (westward)
Most people find this easier
Phase Advance
Sleep earlier and wake earlier (eastward)
Chronotypes
Described as morning or evening people (not binary)
Classify by middle of sleep period on vacation
Most people are intermediate between extremes
Early Chronotype
Morning people
Awaken early, reach peak productivity early, become less alert later in the day
Most impaired as shift workers
Protective factor against mental illness
Late Chronotype
Evening people
Warm up more slowly, reach peak in later afternoon or evening
Spending time outside with natural light can turn them into morning people
More adolescents/young adults
More men
Higher mental illness, worse bipolar symptomatology
Free Running Rhythm
Internal cycles that are decoupled from external/exogenous cues
E.g. living on a submarine
Operate on a little longer than 24hrs
Causes cycle shift gradually
Curt Richter
Brain generates its own rhythms
Biological clock
Remains steady despite food and water deprivation, x rays, tranquilizers, alcohol, anesthesia, lack of oxygen, most kinds of brain damage, or removal of endocrine organs
Suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)
Main driver of rhythms for sleep and body temperature
Part of hypothalamus, just above the optic chiasm
Damage to this area causes body’s rhythms to become erratic
Generates circadian rhythms in a genetically controlled manner
Even if disconnected/isolated from other areas of body, continue to produce circadian rhythm action potentials
Describe Per & CRY influences
See graphs and explanations in note
Retinohypothalamic path
Small branch of optic nerve which alters the SCN’s settings
Retinohypothalamic pathways come from retinal ganglion cells that have own photopigment (melanopsin)
Located mainly near the nose, see toward the periphery
Respond to light slowly and turn off slowly when light ceases (average amount of light)
Respond best to short wavelength (blue) light (why screens prevent sleep)
Melanopsin
Photopigment not found in rods and cones
In retinohypothalamic path
Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs)
Can receive input from rods and cones
Other ganglion cells can send signals to SCN
Both rods and cones and ipRGCs contribute to circadian photoentrainment
M1 cells: non-image forming, ambient light info/how light or dark it is (influences Per and Cry proteins transcription)
Damage before SCN = light doesn’t work as zeitgerber
Pineal Gland
Endocrine gland located posterior to thalamus
Releases melatonin, found in almost all animals, plants, and bacteria
Released mostly at night, increases sleepiness in humans
In nocturnal animals it increases wakefulness
Pineal gland tumour can cause people to stay awake for days at a time
Helps control onset of puberty and bodily adjustments to changes of season (e.g. hibernation)
Sleep
State the brain actively produces
Characterized by decreased activity and decreased response to stimuli
Coma
Extended period of unconsciousness caused by head trauma, stroke, or disease
Low level of brain activity
Little or no response to stimuli
People in a coma either die or begin to recover within a few weeks
Vegetative State
Alternates between periods of sleep and moderate arousal
Even during aroused state person shows no awareness of surroundings and no purposeful behaviour
Breathing is more regular
Painful stimulus produces at least the automatic responses of increased heart rate, breathing, and sweating
Can last for months or years
Minimally Conscious State
Brief periods of purposeful actions and limited amount of speech comprehension
Can last for months or years
Brain Death
Condition with no sign of brain activity and no response to any stimulus
Ensure this is constant for 24 hours before pronouncing brain death
Ethical to remove life support
Electroencephalograph (EEG)
Records an average of the electrical potentials of cells and fibers in brain areas nearest to electrodes
Monitor brain activity during sleep
Electromyogram (EMG)
Muscular measurement
Electrooculogram (EOG)
Eye tracking
Electrocardiograph (ECG)
Measure heart rate
Polysomnography
Combining different metrics for multimodal analysis