U4: Biological Bases: Consciousness Flashcards
consciousness
the awareness of ourselves, our internal states, and the environment
alertness
state of consciousness, involve remaining attentive to surroundings
reticular formation
controls alertness and arousal, as well as the sleep cycle
unconscious level
level that refers to automatic processes, like breathing or beating of the heart
preconscious level
contains information that is available to consciousness but is not always in consciousness, can be retrieved when needed (i.e. directions to a frequently visited place or automatic behaviors)
controlled processing
awareness of what you’re doing
automatic processing
performing tasks mechanically
sleep
altered state of consciousness, believed to be necessary for restoration
circadian rhythm
24 hour pattern of the body; body temp rises in the morning and cools at night; flow of alertness throughout the day
pineal gland
region responsible for production of melatonin
free-running rhythm
the 25 hour pattern our bodies would follow if all time cues were removed
EEG
used to measure brain waves, provides a picture of the electrical activity of the brain
beta waves
when we are awake and focused
alpha waves
when we are still awake but more relaxed
theta waves
when we drift to sleep
sleep spindles
a pattern of waves that appear in stage 2 of sleep; sometimes are broken up by K complexes, which are large slow waves; skeletal muscles relax
delta waves
in sleep stages three and four
REM
eyes move rigorously, dreaming, theta and beta waves, suppressed skeletal muscles tone (aka paradoxical sleep)
sleep cycle
- approx 90 min
- stage 1 –> stage 2 —> stage 3/4 —> REM
- as sleep progresses, stages 3 and 4 diminish and eventually disappear, and REM sleep gets longer
William Dement
- studied the effects of deprivation of REM sleep
- REM rebound: when REM sleep is limited, the period of sleep following the lack of REM sleep will be characterized with increased REM periods
manifest content
- psychoanalytical theory
- the storyline or imagery of the dream offers insight into the unconscious process
latent content
- psychoanalytical theory
- the emotional significance and underlying meaning of the dream
activation-synthesis hypothesis of dreaming
dreams are the product of our awareness of neural activity due to sensory input while we are sleep (i.e. if it’s raining you may dream of a waterfall)
problem-solving theory of dreaming
dreams provide a change for the mind to work out issues that occupy its attention during waking hours
nightmare
an elaborate dream sequence that produces a high level of anxiety or fear; generally occur during REM sleep
dyssomnias
abnormalities in the amount, quality, or timing of sleep
includes insomnia, narcolepsy, and sleep apnea
insomnia
inability to fall asleep or to maintain sleep
can be caused by chronic stress, use of alcohol or stimulants
narcolepsy
inability to stay awake
sleep apnea
repeated stopping of breathing, resulting in awakening after a minute or so without air
parasomnias
abnormalities of movement during deep sleep
include sleep walking/somnambulism and night terrors
sleepwalking
occurs when an individual walks around and sometimes talks while sleeping in stage 3 or 4
night terrors
screaming, crying, jerking/lunging movements while asleep
hypnosis
altered state of consciousness where the person is very relaxed and open to suggestion
dependence
(addiction) occurs when an individual continues using a drug despite overarching negative consequences in order to avoid unpleasant physical and/or psychological feelings associated with not taking it
tolerance
when increasingly larger doses are needed in order for the same effect to occur; it’s possible to develop a tolerance without being dependent
withdrawal
the process of weaning off a drug one is dependent on; involves physical and psychological symptoms that are unpleasant
alcohol
- depressant
- decreases dopamine levels
- effects: dizziness, slurred speech, impaired judgment
barbiturates
- depressant
- inhibit neural arousal centers
- effects: decrease anxiety
- very addictive when mixed with other drugs
tranquilizers
- depressant
- inhibit neural arousal centers
- effects: reduce anxiety without inducing sleep
caffeine
- stimulant
- accelerates heart rate, constricts blood vessels, reduces levels of adenosine (regulator of norepinephrine)
- effect: can lead to irritability, anxiety, insomnia
amphetamines
- stimulant
- increase temperature and heart rate, and increase production of dopamine and norepinephrine
- addictive, produces feelings of euphoria, high dose can lead to motor disfunction
cocaine
- stimulant
- stimulates heart rate and blood pressure; increases dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine
- effect: feeling of increased mental and social ability, addictive
nicotine
- stimulant
- stimulates acetylcholine transmission
- effects: depressant behavioral effects like decreased appetite and increased heart rate, sometimes can cause euphoria and dizziness
narcotics
- depressant
- activate receptors for endogenous endorphins
- effect: relaxation and euphoria; may cause impaired cognitive ability, sweating, nausea, and respiratory depression
addictive
hallucinogens
- LCD and marijuana
- distort sensory perceptions
- may increase serotonin levels
- hallucinations, paranoia, etc.
