AP Psychology 9-13 & Sleep

neuron

a nerve cell; the basic building block of the nervous system

cell body

the part of the neuron that contains the nucleus; the cell's life support center

dendrites

a neuron's often bushy, branching extensions that receive and integrate messages conducting impulses toward the cell body

axon

the neuron extension that passes messages through the branches to other neurons or to muscles or glands

myelin sheath

a fatty tissue later segmentally encasing the axons of some neurons

glial cells

cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons (+learning, thinking, and memory)

action potential

a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an atom

threshold

the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

refractory period

in neural processing, a brief resting pause that occurs after a neuron has fired

all or none response

a neuron's reaction of either firing or not firing

synapse

the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron

neurotransmitters

chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons

reuptake

a neurotransmitter's reabsorption by the sending neuron

endorphins

natural, opiate-like neurotransmitters linked to pain control & pleasure

agonist

a molecule that increases a neurotransmitter's action

antagonist

a molecule that inhibits or blocks a neurotransmitter's action

central nervous system

the brain and spinal cord

peripheral nervous system

the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system to the rest of the body

nerves

bundled axons that form neural cables connecting the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs

sensory (afferent) neurons

neurons that carry incoming information from the body's tissues and sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord

motor (efferent) neurons

neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands

interneurons

neurons within the brain and spinal cord; process information between

somatic nervous system (skeletal)

the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles

autonomic nervous system

the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and muscles of the internal organs

sympathetic nervous system

the division of the autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing its energy

parasympathetic nervous system

the division of the autonomic nervous system that calms the body, conserving its energy

reflex

a simple, automatic response to sensory stimulus

the endocrine system

set of glands that secrete hormones to bloodstream

hormones

chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues

adrenal glands

a pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete hormones that help arouse the body in times of stress

pituitary gland

regulates growth & controls other endocrine glands

brainstem

the oldest part and central core of the brain, responsible for automatic survival functions

medulla

the base of the brainstem; controls heartbeat and breathing

thalamus

the brain's sensory control center; directs messages to sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla

reticular formation

a nerve network that travels through the brainstem into the thalamus and plays important role in controlling arousing

cerebellum

the "little brain" at the rear of the brainstem; processes sensory input, coordinates movement/balance, enables nonverbal learning and memory

limbic system

neural system located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives

amygdala

two lima-bean sized neural clusters in the limbic system; linked to emotion

hypothalamus

a neural structure lying below the thalamus; directs eating/drinking/etc, helps govern the endocrine system; linked to emotion and reward

hippocampus

a neural center located in the limbic system; helps process for storage explicit (conscious) memories of facts or events

cerebral cortex

the intricate fabric of interconnected neural cells covering the cerebral hemispheres; body's ultimate control and information processing center

frontal lobes

the portion of the cerebral cortex behind forehead; involved in speaking and muscle movements and in making plans and judgements

parietal lobes

the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the top of the head/towards rear; receives sensory input from the touch and body position

occipital lobes

the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at back of head; includes areas that receive information from the visual fields

temporal lobes

the portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, receiving information from opposite ear

motor cortex

an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements

somatosensory cortex

an area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations

association areas

areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions; involved in higher mental functions like learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking

plasticity

brain's ability to change, especially during childhood by reorganizing damage or by building new pathways based in experience

neurogenesis

the formation of new neurons

corpus callosum

the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them

split brain

a condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain's two hemispheres by cutting the fibers connecting them

consciousness

our subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment

cognitive neuroscience

the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (perception, thinking, memory, language)

dual processing

the principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks

blindsight

a condition in which a person can respond to a visual stimulus without consciously experiencing it

parallel processing

processing many aspects of a problem simultaneously

sequential processing

processing one aspect of a problem at a time

pons

helps coordinate movement and controls sleep

broca's area

the production of speech = left frontal lobe

wernicke's area

comprehension of speech - left temporal lobe

NREM-1

Sensory experiences without stimulus

Sensation of falling

Jerking awake

Floating

1-7 minutes

NREM-2

10-25 minutes

Can be awakened easily

Burst of rapid, rhythmic brain-wave activity (sleep spindles)

NREM-3

Deep sleep

20-40 minutes

Delta waves

About half of your night's sleep

REM

the muscles are relaxed but other body systems are active; recurring sleep stage when vivid dreams often occur (aka paradoxical sleep)

circadian rhythm

our biological clock; regular bodily rhythms (ex: temperature & wakefulness) that occur on a 24 hour cycle

alpha waves

the relatively slow brain waves of a relaxed, awake state

hallucinations

false sensory experiences, such as seeing something in the absence of an external visual stimulus

hypnagogic sensations

bizarre experiences, such as jerking or a feeling of falling or floating weightlessly, while transitioning to sleep

delta waves

the large, slow brain waves associated with the deep sleep of NREM-3

supracharismatic nucleus

a pair of cell clusters in the hypothalamus that controls circadian rhythm. In response to light, causes the pineal gland to adjust melatonin production, thus modifying our feelings of sleepiness

insomnia

recurring problems in falling or staying asleep

narcolepsy

A sleep disorder characterized by uncontrollable sleep attacks. The sufferer may lapse directly into REM sleep, often at inopportune times.

sleep apnea

a sleep disorder characterized by temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakenings

night terrors

a sleep disorder characterized by high arousal and an appearance of being terrified; unlike nightmares, night terrors occur during NREM-3 sleep, within 2-3 hours of falling asleep, and are seldom remembered

dream

a sequence of images, emotions, and thoughts passing through a sleeping person's mind

manifest content

according to Freud. the symbolic, remembered storyline of a dream

latent content

according to Freud, the underlying meaning of a dream

REM rebound

the tendency for REM sleep to increase following REM sleep deprivation