Psych Module 9-18

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Sleep

Periodic natural loss of conciousness

Circadian rhythm

Regular bodily rhythms that occur in 24 hour cycle (Our biological clock)

Examples of circadian rhythm

Body temperature, thinking, memory

REM sleep characteristics

Rapid eye movement, vivid dreams, muscles relaxing, active body system. Gets longer as night progress. Sleep paralysis can occur in this stage

Alpha waves

Slow brain waves of a relaxed awake state

NREM sleep

non-rapid eye movement sleep, every other sleep stage other than REM

Hallucinations

False sensory experiences

Hypnagogic sensations

Bizarre feeling such as falling or floating while transitioning to sleep

Delta Waves

Large slow brain waves associated with deep sleep of NREM-3

Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN)

Pair of cell clusters in the hypothalamus that controls circadian rhythm

NREM-1 characteristics

Hypnagogic sensations and hallucinations,

NREM-2 characteristics

Sleep spindles, stage gets longer as night goes on

NREM-3 characteristics

Delta waves, grows shorter and disappears as night goes on

Sleep paralysis causation

Motor cortex is active, but brainstem blocks it’s messages

Melatonin production is (increased/d

Melatonin production is (increased/decreased) in the night

Increased

Why do we sleep?

1. Protection

2. Immune system restoration and repair brain tissue

3. Restore and rebuild fading memories

4. Feeds creative thinking

5. Supports growth

Insomnia

Recurring problems in falling asleep or staying asleep

Narcolepsy

Sudden attacks of heavy sleepiness often triggered by strong emotions

Sleep apnea

Stopping breathing while sleeping

Sleepwalking

doing normal waking activities while asleep

When does sleepwalking occur?

NREM-3

When does sleeptalking occur?

Any sleep stage

Night terror

Appearing terrified, talking nonsense, or walking around during NREM-3 sleep (NOT THE SAME AS NIGHTMARES)

Effects of insomnia

Chronic tiredness, reliance on alcohol or sleeping pills, reduced REM sleep

Effects of sleep apnea

Fatigue and depression, associated with obesity especially among men

Effects of night terrors

Doubling of child’s heart and breathing rate during the attack

Dream

Sequence of images, emotion, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person’s mind

Manifest content

Remembered storyline of a dream (According to Freud)

Latent content

underlying meaning of a dream (According to Freud)

REM rebound

tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation

Psychoactive drug

Chemical substance that alters perception and mood

Substance use disorder

Disorder characterized by continued substance use despite significant life disruption

Tolerance

Brain’s chemistry adapts to offset drug effect, leading to larger doses required to experience same effect

Withdrawal

Discomfort following discontinuing addictive drug or behavior

Depressants

Reduces neural activity and slow body function

Barbiturates

Drugs that depress CNS, reduces anxiety but impairs memory and judgement

Opiates

Depresses neural activity, temporarily lessens pain and anxiety

Stimulant

Drug that excite neural activity and speed up body function

Nicotine

A stimulating and highly addictive psychoactive drug

Cocaine

Powerful and addictive stimulant derived from coca plant

Amphetamines

Drugs that stimulate neural activity, causing accelerated body functions and associated with energy and mood changes

methamphetamine

drug that stimulates the CNS with accelerated body functions and associated energy and mood changes; reduces baseline dopamine levels

Ecstasy (MDMA)

Synthetic stimulant and mild hallucinogen

Near death experience

Altered level of conciousness after a close brush with death

LSD

powerful hallucinogenic drug also known as acid

THC

Major ingredient in marijuana, triggers effects such as mild hallucinations

Alcohol (type, positive/negative effects)

Depressant

Positive effects: initial high followed by relaxation

Negative effects: Impulsive behavior, depression, memory loss, organ damage, impaired reactions

Heroin (type, positive/negative effects)

Depressant

Positive effects: Rush of euphoria, pain relief

Negative effects: Depressed physiology, agonizing withdrawal

Caffeine (type, positive/negative effects)

Stimulant

Positive effects: Increased alertness and wakefulness

Negative effects: Anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, uncomfortable withdraw

Nicotine (type, positive/negative effects)

Stimulant

Positive effects: Arousal and relaxation, sense of well being

Negative effects: Heart disease, cancer

Cocaine (type, positive/negative effects)

Stimulant

Positive effects: Rush of euphoria, confidence, energy

Negative effects: Cardiovascular stress, paranoia, depressive crash

Methamphetamine (type, positive/negative effects)

Stimulant

Positive effects: Euphoria, alertness, energy

Negative effects: Irritability, insomnia, hypertension, seizures

Ecstasy (type, positive/negative effects)

Stimulant, mild hallucinogen

Positive effects: emotional elevation

Negative effects: impulsive behavior, dehydration, overheating, depressed mood, impaired cognitive and immune functioning

LSD (type, positive/negative effects)

Hallucinogen

Positive effects: visual “trip”

Negative effects: Risk of panic

Marijuana (type, positive/negative effects)

Mild Hallucinogen

Positive effects: Enhanced sensation, pain relief, time distortion, relaxation

Negative effects: Impaired learning and memory, increased risk of psychological disorders

Sensory Neurons

Input source of the body, connects the sensory receptors to the central nervous system

Why do reflexes happen?

Sensory neurons send a message to the interneuron in the spinal cord, which sends a motor neuron to the muscles. The signal does not reach the brain.

MEG scan

Uses large magnets to recieve images of internal organs in the body

Motor Neurons

Output source of the body, connects the central nervous system to muscle glands

Interneuron

Facilitates communication in the CNS (only operates in the CNS)

Dendrites

Neuron extensions that receive and integrate messages

Axon

Neuron extension that passes messages through branches to other neurons, muscles, or glands

myelin

Tissue layer encasing axons, greatly increases transmission speed

Glial cells

Cells that support and protect neurons. Plays role in learning, thinking, and memory

Oligodendroglia

Glia cells that produce myelin in the central nervous system

Schwann cells

Glial cells that produce myelin in the peripheral nervous system

Astrocytes

Star shaped, forms a lot of the matrix and envelops blood vessels

Matrix

substance that occupies empty space between cells

Nodes of Ranvier

Spaces between myelin cells, keeps charges moving through the axon. Without them, charges might lose intensity

Multiple sclerosis

Damage that develops on the myelin sheaths of axon bundles in the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves, caused by genetics and the environment

Symptoms of multiple sclerosis

muscular weakness, lack of coordination, vision problems

Guillain-Barré Syndrome

an immune response where the body attacks the myelin of peripheral nerves (skin + muscles), usually occurs after microbial infection

Symptoms of Guillain-Barré Syndrome

fever and nausea, progressing to lower extremity muscular weakness, moving upwards eventually causing numbness and paralysis

Synapse

The place where the axon tip of sending neuron and cell body of receiving neuron meet

All or none response

Neuron’s reaction of either firing with full strength or not firing at all (pressing trigger harder won’t increase speed of bullet)

Threshold

Level of stimulation needed to trigger a neural impulse (lightly pressing trigger wont shoot the gun)

neural impulse

Electrical charge that travels down an axon

refractory period

Pause after neuron has fired, impulses cannot continue until axon returns to resting state (Gun has to reload before being able to fire again)

Neurotransmitters

Messengers that cross gaps between neurons and bind to receptor sites. Influences whether neuron will generate an impulse

Acetylcholine (ACh) function and example of malfunction

Enables muscle action, learning, and memory. Alzheimer’s disease can lead to ACh producers deteriorating

Dopamine function and example of malfunction

Neurotransmitter that influences movement, learning, attention, and emotion. Too much has been linked to schizophrenia while too little has been linked to tremors and decreased mobility in Parkinson’s disease

Serotonin function and example of malfunction

Neurotransmitter that affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal. Too little has been linked to depression while too much has been linked to drug reactions which can be dangerous

Norepinephrine function and example of malfunction

Neurotransmitter that helps control alertness and arousal, triggers the flight or fight response. Too little can depress mood

GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) function and example of malfunction

Neurotransmitter that slows down brain activity by blocking certain signals. Regulates anxiety, muscle relaxation, and sleep. Undersupply can lead to seizures, tremors, and insomnia while oversupply can impair cognitive function

Glutamate function and example of malfunction

Neurotransmitter that plays a role in learning and memory. Too much can overstimulate the brain and cause seizures or migraines and contribute to Alzheimer’s. MSG contains this neurotransmitter

Endorphin function and example of malfunction

Neurotransmitter that influences the perception of pain and pleasure. imbalance can lead to heightened sensitivity to pain and mood disorders; decreased endorphin levels might contribute to chronic pain or depression

Agonist

Molecule that increases neurotransmitter actions

Antagonist

Molecule that blocks a neurotransmitter action

Somatic nervous system function

enables voluntary control of skeletal muscles

Autonomic nervous system

Controls glands and internal organ muscles. Automatic and can self regulate

Sympathetic nervous system function

Arouses and expends energy. (accelerates heartbeat, dilates pupils, raise blood pressure, etc)

Parasympathetic nervous system function

Calms and conserves energy. (decreases heartrate, contracts pupils, lowers blood pressure, etc)

Nerves

Groupings of axons found in the peripheral nervous system

Reflex

A self-defense mechanism without you being conscious of the action. This happens outside of the CNS

Endocrine system

A slower chemical communication system that encompasses glands that release hormones into the bloodstream

Adrenal glands

A pair of glands that sit above kidneys that secrete hormones (epinephrine or adrenaline, and norepinephrine)

Pituitary gland

Under influence of hypothalamus, this gland controls growth and other endocrine glands

Marcus Raichle Hypothesis

Brain uses 20% of the body’s entire energy budget even when not engaged in any particular task

Vogel and Bogen

first to perform a commissurotomy (creating a split brain)