AP PSYCHOLOGY UNIT 4 RECAP: DRUGS, NEUROTRANSMITTERS, SLEEP STAGES, AND DREAM THEORIES

Alcohol

Depressant;

Initial high followed by relaxation and disinhibition. Depression, memory loss, organ damage, and impaired reactions.

Heroin

Depressant;

Rush of euphoria, relief from pain. Depressed physiology, agonizing withdrawal.

Caffeine

Stimulant;

Increased alertness and wakefulness. Anxiety, restlessness, and insomnia in high doses; uncomfortable withdrawal.

Methamphetamine

Stimulant;

Euphoria, alertness, energy. Irritability, insomnia, hypertension, seizures.

Cocaine

Stimulant;

Rush of euphoria, confidence, energy. Cardiovascular stress, suspiciousness, depressive crash.

Nicotine

Stimulant;

Arousal and relaxation, sense of well-being. Heart disease, cancer.

Ecstasy (MDMA)

Stimulant; mild hallucinogen;

Emotional elevation, disinhibition. Dehydration, overheating, depressed mood, impaired cognitive and immune functioning.

Marijuana

Mild hallucinogen;

Enhanced sensation, relief of pain, distortion of time, relaxation. Impaired learning and memory, increased risk of psychological disorders, lung damage from smoke.

Acetylcholine (ACh)

Enables muscle action, learning, and memory. With Alzheimer’s disease, ACh-producing neurons deteriorate.

Dopamine

Influences movement, learning, attention, and emotion. Oversupply linked to schizophrenia. Undersupply linked to tremors and decreased mobility in Parkinson’s disease.

Serotonin

Affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal. Undersupply linked to depression. Some antidepressant drugs raise serotonin levels.

Norepinephrine

Helps control alertness and arousal. Undersupply can depress mood.

GABA

A major inhibitory neurotransmitter. Undersupply linked to seizures, tremors, and insomnia.

Glutamate

A major excitatory neurotransmitter; involved in memory. Oversupply can overstimulate the brain, producing migraines or seizures.

Wish fulfillment

Dreams provide a “psychic safety valve” - expressing otherwise unacceptable feelings; contain manifest content and a deeper layer of latent content.

Information-processing

Dreams help us sort out the day’s events and consolidate our memories.

Physiological function

Regular brain stimulation from REM sleep may help develop and preserve neural pathways.

Neural activation

REM sleep triggers neural activity that evokes random visual memories, which our sleeping brain weaves into stories.

Cognitive development

Dream content reflects dreamers’ cognitive development- their knowledge and understanding.

NREM-1

Fantastic images, resembling hallucinations, may start to feel like you’re falling or floating.

NREM-2

Periodic sleep spindles - you are clearly asleep.

NREM-3 and 4

Slow-wave (delta) sleep which lasts about 30 minutes.

REM Sleep

Brain waves become rapid/saw-toothed, heart rate rises, breathing becomes rapid and irregular, every half-minute: eyes dart around in momentary bursts of activity behind closed lids.