States of Consciousness and Psychopharmacology

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the core concepts of consciousness, sleep architecture, synaptic pharmacology, stimulants, sedatives, and neurotransmitter actions.

Consciousness

What is lost when falling into deep, dreamless sleep, anesthesia, or coma, and regained upon waking up.

Qualitativeness

A feature of consciousness characterized by the sense that each individual experience feels distinct and unique.

Subjectivity

A feature of consciousness referring to the sense of the 'I' or the 'self' that actively experiences and acts upon the world.

Unity

A feature of consciousness characterized by experiencing phenomena as an integrated 'whole' rather than as a disjointed collection of 'parts'.

Conscious Processing

Mental operations that a person is aware of on a moment-to-moment basis, such as deliberate attention.

Unconscious Processing

Automatic 'autopilot' operations relating to perception, motivation, emotion, certain memory forms, movement, and respiration occurring outside awareness.

Circadian Cycle

A natural biological sleep-wake rhythm organized around a 24-hour cycle and entrained by light detected through the retina.

Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN)

The brain's 'biological clock,' located in the hypothalamus, which regulates the 24-hour circadian cycle through retinal light entrainment.

Arousal Neurotransmitters

A group of neurochemicals—specifically acetylcholine, norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin, and histamine—whose brain levels peak during wakefulness.

Adenosine

An inhibitory neurotransmitter and metabolic by-product that progressively accumulates in the brain throughout wakefulness to induce sleepiness.

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

A diagnostic sleep recording tool that measures the electrical brain activity of neurons located on the cortical surface.

Electromyogram (EMG)

A recording tool used in sleep research to measure bodily muscle activity and tone.

Electrooculogram (EOG)

A physiological recording tool used in sleep studies to track the electrical activity of muscles controlling eye movements.

Slow-Wave Sleep (SWS)

Stages 3 and 4 of non-REM sleep, characterized by low-frequency, synchronized delta EEG waves, light even respiration, intact muscle tone, and high arousal thresholds.

REM Sleep

A recurring sleep phase occurring every ~90 minutes marked by high-frequency, desynchronized 'awake-like' EEG activity, rapid eye movements, loss of muscle tone, vivid dreams, and sexual arousal.

Psychopharmacology

The study of the effects of exogenous chemicals (drugs) on the nervous system, mind, and behavior.

Exogenous Drug

A chemical not naturally synthesized within the body that is not necessary for normal physiological function but alters cell functioning.

Agonist

A drug that enhances or boosts the normal physiological effects of a neurotransmitter.

Antagonist

A drug that inhibits, blocks, or diminishes the normal physiological effects of a neurotransmitter.

Reuptake Inhibition

The pharmacological blockade of presynaptic transporter pumps, preventing neurotransmitter clearance and creating a larger, more prolonged postsynaptic effect.

Stimulants

A pharmacological class that increases excitation (depolarizing neurons) by acting as glutamate receptor agonists or boosting monoamines like dopamine and norepinephrine.

Sedatives and Tranquilizers

A pharmacological class that increases inhibition (hyperpolarizing neurons) by antagonizing glutamate receptors or acting as GABA receptor agonists.

Nucleus Accumbens

A key brain structure often referred to as the brain's 'pleasure center,' where dopamine release underlies reward and pleasure processing.

Classical Stimulants

Drugs such as amphetamines and cocaine that act as dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, yielding dose-dependent wakefulness, euphoria, or psychosis.

Barbiturates

Sedative drugs (e.g., Nembutal, Luminal, Seconal) that act as GABA receptor agonists to increase neural inhibition, carrying a very high risk of fatal overdose.

Benzodiazepines

Tranquilizer medications (e.g., Valium, Xanax, Ativan, Klonopin) that act as GABA receptor agonists, presenting a low overdose risk unless co-ingested with other depressants.

Ethyl Alcohol

An atypical sedative drug that acts simultaneously as a GABA receptor agonist and a glutamate receptor antagonist, producing relaxation, sedation, and mild dopamine release.