Neuroscience: Sleep and Circadian Rhythms

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to sleep and circadian rhythms in neuroscience.

Somatosensation

The ability to perceive stimuli from the external environment through sensory receptors.

Dorsal Medial Lemniscal Pathway

A neural pathway that carries fine touch and proprioceptive information to the brain.

Spinothalamic Tract

A sensory pathway that conveys pain and temperature sensations to the brain.

Dermatomes

Areas of skin that are mainly supplied by a single spinal nerve root.

Sensory Homunculus

A visual representation of the body, depicting the anatomical representation of the body's surface sensory, motor functions in the brain.

Chronobiology

The study of biological rhythms and their effects on living organisms.

Circadian Rhythms

Biological processes that display an endogenous, entrainable oscillation of about 24 hours.

Zeitgebers

Environmental cues that help regulate biological rhythms, such as light.

Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN)

A group of neurons in the hypothalamus that controls circadian rhythms.

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

A test that detects electrical activity in the brain using small metal discs attached to the scalp.

Non-REM Sleep

A sleep phase characterized by slower brain waves, divided into stages N1, N2, N3, and N4.

REM Sleep

A sleep stage associated with rapid eye movement, vivid dreaming, and atonia.

Narcolepsy

A sleep disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and sudden sleep attacks.

Activation-Synthesis Hypothesis

The theory that dreams are the brain's attempt to make sense of random neural activity.

Ultradian Oscillator

Biological rhythms that cycle in less than 24 hours, such as sleep cycles.

Atonia

Muscle paralysis that occurs during REM sleep.

Hypersomnia

Excessive sleepiness during the day.