Final review part 3 - States of consciousness

What are the key components of consciousness?

Subjective experience, self-awareness, perception, thought, intentionality, unity.

What is the Global Workspace Theory?

Consciousness arises from the broadcasting of information across specialized brain modules.

What is a neural correlate of consciousness (NCC)?

Specific brain activity patterns linked to conscious experience.

What is selective attention?

Focusing on one stimulus while ignoring others.

What are the three attentional networks?

Alerting, orienting, and executive control.

Which neurotransmitters affect attention?

Dopamine and norepinephrine.

What does the Default Mode Network (DMN) do?

Active during rest; involved in self-reflection, memory, and mind-wandering.

How is the DMN linked to depression?

Overactive DMN causes rumination and excessive self-focus.

What happens in anxiety with DMN activity?

Increased worry and trouble shifting attention.

What is a coma?

Deep unconsciousness with no awareness or response.

What is brain death?

Irreversible loss of all brain function, including the brainstem.

What is Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome?

Wakefulness without awareness or purposeful response.

What is an out-of-body experience?

Feeling of floating and observing oneself from outside the body.

What brain changes might explain NDEs?

Endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, REM intrusion, temporal lobe anomalies.

What controls circadian rhythms?

Suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the hypothalamus.

What is melatonin’s role in sleep?

Regulates sleep-wake cycles, increases at night.

What are the stages of sleep?

NREM-1, NREM-2, NREM-3/4 (deep sleep), REM (dreaming).

What happens during REM sleep?

Vivid dreams, muscle atonia, rapid eye movement, theta rhythms.

What are PGO waves?

Brain activity linking pons, thalamus, and occipital cortex; associated with dreaming.

What is the function of REM sleep according to Crick and Mitchison?

Clears unnecessary neural connections—"reverse learning."

What is insomnia?

Difficulty falling or staying asleep; linked to hyperarousal.

What is narcolepsy?

Sudden sleep attacks, often entering REM directly.

What is REM sleep behavior disorder?

Acting out dreams due to lack of muscle atonia.