Sleep Exam 3

Sensory Memory

Memory system that retains information for less than 1 second.

Short-term Memory

Also known as working memory; retains information for less than 1 minute.

Long-term Memory

Memory system that can retain information for a lifetime.

Explicit Memory

Conscious memory that requires intentional recall.

Implicit Memory

Unconscious memory that does not require intentional recall.

Declarative Memory

Memory of facts and events that can be consciously recalled.

Episodic Memory

Memory that pertains to personal experiences and events.

Semantic Memory

Memory that involves facts and concepts.

Procedural Memory

Memory for skills and tasks.

Memory Consolidation

The process through which recent memories are transformed into a more stable form.

Hippocampus

Brain structure crucial for the formation of memories.

Sleep Spindles

Bursts of brain activity during sleep that are associated with memory consolidation.

Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS)

Technique that applies a low amount of current to stimulate the brain at specific frequencies.

Targeted Memory Reactivation

Technique used to strengthen memory consolidation by re-exposing individuals to cues

LUCID DREAMING

The state of being aware that one is dreaming while in the dream.

SEMANTIC NETWORK

A network that represents words or concepts interconnected by their meanings.

FREE ASSOCIATION

A technique in psychology where a person says whatever comes to mind without censorship.

REM SLEEP

Rapid Eye Movement sleep, a phase characterized by the occurrence of dreams.

RELATIONAL LEARNING

Learning that facilitates understanding relationships between concepts.

ABSTRACTION

The process of considering something independently of its associations or attributes.

DREAM INCUBATION

The practice of focusing on a particular thought or question before sleep to influence dream content.

ALPHA OSCILLATIONS

Brain activity characterized by neural oscillations in the frequency of 8-12 Hz, associated with relaxation.

VAGUSSTOFF

A chemical secreted by the vagus nerve, identified by Otto Loewi as acetylcholine.

CLUSTRING

The process of grouping concepts based on shared characteristics.

NEUROPLASTICITY

The ability of the brain to change and adapt in response to new experiences.

Nightmare

Distressing dreams that cause the sleeper to wake up due to frightening imagery or emotions.

Nightmare frequency in children

25-30% of children report having had a nightmare in the past month.

Nightmare frequency in adults

1 in every 20 adults reported having nightmares every week.

PTSD Nightmares

Nightmares that occur during all stages of sleep, tend to be more realistic, and often repeat the traumatic event.

Image Rehearsal Therapy (IRT)

A technique used to reduce nightmares by rewriting them.

Lucid Dreaming

A state in which the dreamer is aware that they are dreaming and can often control the dream.

Concretization

The tendency of people to make abstractions more real or concrete, often linked to anxiety.

Impact of Nightmares

Chronic nightmares are associated with increased suicidal ideation and the risk is highest for trauma dreams.

Standard treatment for PTSD

Standard treatments do not decrease nightmares, but addressing nightmares can help reduce PTSD symptoms.

Targeted dream incubation

A method to guide dreams toward specific topics using auditory stimulation.

REM Sleep

Rapid Eye Movement sleep associated with dreaming and important for emotional regulation.

Non-REM Sleep

A stage of sleep that does not involve rapid eye movement, important for physical restoration.

Synaptogenesis

The formation of synapses between neurons in the brain, highlighted as a function of REM sleep.

The Soothing Balm

A theory suggesting that REM sleep helps process and ease emotional pain from daily experiences.

Emotional Memory

Memories that involve emotions, which are influenced by sleep, particularly REM.

Norepinephrine/Noradrenaline

A neurotransmitter that decreases during REM sleep, contributing to emotional processing.

Sleep Rebound

The phenomenon where increased sleep time is observed after sleep deprivation, with longer REM periods occurring after initial recovery.

Dreaming in PTSD

Experiencing flashbacks during various sleep stages, often linked to trauma and not confined to REM.

Depression Recovery and Dreams

Research indicating that individuals with dreams about emotional experiences tend to recover better from depression.

Composition of Sleep

The distribution of sleep stages, specifically the differing amounts of REM and non-REM sleep across species.

Dreaming Flashbacks in PTSD

Occur in all stages of sleep, not just REM.

What medication helped people with PTSD in dreams?

Blood pressure medication called Prazosin

What is dreaming?

Dreaming is a state of consciousness during sleep characterized by mental, emotional, or sensory experiences, including hallucinations and delusions.

REM sleep

Rapid Eye Movement sleep, where dreaming is most vivid and emotional, characterized by high brain activity and muscle paralysis.

nREM sleep

Non-Rapid Eye Movement sleep, which may also involve dreams but typically less vivid and emotional than those in REM.

Manifest content

The explicit story or images in a dream that are the surface level of the dream narrative.

Latent content

The underlying meaning or hidden desires represented in the manifest content of dreams according to Freudian theory.

Neural Decoding of Visual Imagery

A method that uses machine learning to predict the contents of visual dreams based on brain activity during sleep.

Activated brain regions during dreaming

Regions such as the visuospatial, motor, limbic system, hippocampus, and amygdala that are more active than when awake.

Deactivated regions during dreaming

Regions such as the right and left prefrontal cortex, which are less active and involved in logical reasoning.

Day residue

The concept that dreams may reflect elements of waking life, though only found in a small percentage of dreams.

Why do we dream?

The reasons for dreaming remain a question, but it may relate to emotional processing and memory consolidation.

What part of the brain releases Orexin

Hypothalamus

What is the most common sleep disorder

Insomnia

What is required for a diagnosis of Insomnia

One of the three criteria for insomnia includes difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up too early with the distress or impairment in daily functioning for more than three nights a week for three months