Sleep Walking & Narcolepsy

Question 1

What is narcolepsy?

Answer 1

Sleep disorder characterised by sudden and uncontrollable attacks of sleep at irregular and unexpected times

Question 2

Who does narcolepsy affect?

Answer 2

1/1000 people, usually beginning in adolescence or early adulthood

Question 3

What are the two main symptoms of narcolepsy?

Answer 3

1) Constant sleepiness

2) Cataplexy (loss of muscular control as the skeletal muscles suddenly give way)

Question 4

Why might these symptoms of narcolepsy be triggered?

Answer 4

Emotional arousal like fear or excitement

Question 5

What are some less common symptoms?

Answer 5

Hallucinations, sleep paralysis, disruption of sleep

Question 6

What is the REM explanation for narcolepsy?

Answer 6

• 1960s: proposed that malfunction in system that regulates REM
• REM body is paralysed, but cataplexy may be attributed to neurons meant to be active in REM becoming active during the day

Question 7

What studies have supported the REM/Narcolepsy link?

Answer 7

• Neuron activity in narcoleptic dogs

- Cataplexy linked to activation of cells usually only active during sleep

Question 8

Has research supported this REM/N link?

Answer 8

No - conflicting findings, showing a need for further research

Question 9

Why might non-human research into the REM/N link lack reliability/external validity?

Answer 9

-Differences in biology and anatomy

Question 10

What is the HLA/Narcolepsy link put forth by Honda?

Answer 10

• Mutation of the immune system
• Increased frequency of one type of HLA in N patients
• Found on surface of WBCs and co-ordinate an immune response

Question 11

Which evidence has been unsupportive of the narcolepsy and HLA link?

Answer 11

-High HLA reasonably common in general population too, so HLA cannot be the only explanation

Question 12

Why might the HLA/N link be reductionist?

Answer 12

Alternative factors not taken into account

Question 13

What is the final explanation for narcolepsy?

Answer 13

• Hypocretin plays vital role in maintaining wakefulness
• Gene defect may disrupt its production
• Shown in dogz

Question 14

What have human studies found regarding the hypocretin/N link?

Answer 14

• Lower levels of HC in their spinal fluids

- Non inherited, but may be due to brain injury, stress, diet etc

Question 15

Why does this hypocretin/N research also lend support to the HLA link?

Answer 15

Due to the role of HLA in immune response in cases of auto-immune attack in this area

Question 16

However, what is an alternative, psychological explanation?

Answer 16

• Disguise sexual fantasies?!

- Conditioning in some form, exposure to yawning may cause others to feel sleepy

Question 17

Why are bio-explanations more credit worthy?

Answer 17

• Not much research in psycho expos

- Can be tested objectively

Question 18

Who does sleep walking effect?

Answer 18

20% of children and less than 3% of adults

Question 19

What is sleep walking?

Answer 19

As the name suggests, walking and sometimes actions in ones sleep

Question 20

Why might sleep walking have an effect on the persons life?

Answer 20

Could lead to injury, such as tripping

Question 21

When does sleep walking occur?

Answer 21

NREM/SWS sleep

Question 22

What if sleep walking occurs outside NREM sleep?

Answer 22

This is another disorder in itself

Question 23

What is one explanation for sleep walking?

Answer 23

Incomplete arousal

Question 24

How might incomplete arousal explain sleep walking?

Answer 24

• Mixture of delta waves and beta waves (awake brain)
• Person is awakened, but arousal is incomplete
• May be genetic

Question 25

What are some alternative factors contributing to sleepwalking?

Answer 25

Sleep deprivation, alcohol, fever, stress, psychiatric conditions

Question 26

What is some research support for the sleepwalking/sleep deprivation link?

Answer 26

• 40 patient observation whilst sleeping
• Behavioural checklist for behaviours such as sitting up, walking around etc
• Observed during normal nights sleep then 25 hrs without sleep
• When sleep deprived, sleep walking rose to 90% from 50

Question 27

How does this research lend support to the sleep walking and sleep deprivation link?

Answer 27

• Dep does not lead to sleep walking in ‘normal’ people, suggesting it may only affect those with a genetic predisposition

Question 28

Why might SW affect more children than adults?

Answer 28

Children have more SWS & system designed to inhibit motor activity in SWS is not fully matured. May be underdeveloped in adults

Question 29

In support of the explanations of sleep walking, it may follow a diathesis stress model…

Answer 29

• Gene/environment interaction
• 1st degree relatives, 10x greater link than in gen pop
• Combined with sleep dep/fever

Question 30

Positive application of sleep walking?

Answer 30

Expert knowledge required in case of 32 year old sleep walker who murdered his father. Claimed to have no recollection of event and was asleep at the time

Question 31

The absence of such research (RWA) may have lead to..

Answer 31

Injustices, showing the use of psychological research in assisting in such cases