Chapter 4: States of Consciousness

Wakefulness

: as state characterized by high levels of sensory awareness, thought, and behavior.

Parasomnia

: one of a group of sleep disorders in which unwanted, disruptive motor activity and /or experiences during sleep play a role.

Meditative techniques

have their roots in religious practices, but their use has expanded to alternative medicine.

Opioid

: one category of drugs that includes heroin, morphine, methadone, and codeine.

Hallucinogens

are varied in terms of the neurotransmitter systems they affect.

Depressant

: a drug that tends to suppress central nervous system activity.

Opioids

have analgesic properties (they decrease pain)

Suprachiasmatic nucleus

(SCN): the area of the hypothalamus the brains clock mechanism is located in.

adaptive response

Our sleep patterns evolved as a(n) to predatory risks, which increases in the dark.

Jet lag

: a collection of symptoms that results from the mismatch between our internal circadian cycles and our environment.

Restless

leg syndrome: uncomfortable sensations in the legs during periods of inactivity or when trying to fall asleep.

Stimulants

: drugs that tend to increase overall levels of neural activity.

Sleep spindle

: a rapid burst of higher frequency brain waves that may be important for learning and memory.

Humans

have an endogenous opioid neurotransmitter system- the body makes small quantities of opioid compounds that bind to opioid receptors reducing pain and producing euphoria.

transitional phase

Stage 1 sleep: a(n) that occurs between wakefulness and sleep, the period during which we drift off to sleep.

Hypnosis

: a state of extreme self- focus and attention in which minimal attention is given to external stimuli.

K complex

: a very high amplitude pattern of brain activity that may occur in response to environmental stimuli.

Melatonin

: involved in the regulation of various biological rhythms and the immune system.

Alcohol

: in a class of psychoactive drugs known as depressants.

Parasomnias

can occur in either REM or NREM phases of sleep.

complex behaviors

Sleepwalking: the sleeper engages in relatively ranging from wandering about to driving an automobile.

Tolerance

: linked to physiological dependence, and occurs when a person requires more and more drug to achieve effects previously experienced at lower doses.

Sleep

: a state characterized by relatively low levels of physical activity and reduced sensory awareness.

Narcolepsy

: when an individual cant resist falling asleep at inopportune times.

Consciousness

: our awareness of internal and external stimuli.

Hallucinogen

: one of class of drugs that results in profound alterations in sensory and perceptual experiences.

Freud

differentiated between the manifest content and the latent content of dreams.

FSH

Sleep involves the secretion and regulation of a number of hormones from several endocrine glands including: melatonin, follicle stimulating hormone (), luteinizing hormone (LH), and growth hormone.

shift

Rotating work: a work schedule that changes from early to late on a daily or weekly basis.

Night terrors

: a sense of panic thats often followed by screams and attempts to escape from the immediate environment.

Narcoleptic episodes

are often triggered by states of heightened arousal or stress.

Meditation

: the act of focusing on a single target to increase awareness of the moment.

SCN

The axons of light- sensitive neurons in the retina provide information to the based on the amount of light present, allowing this internal clock to be synchronized with the outside world.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

(SIDS): an infant stops breathing during sleep and dies.

Rosalind Cartwright

believes that dreams simply reflect life events that are important to the dreamer.

Insomnia

: a consistent difficulty in falling or staying asleep.

pineal gland

The releases melatonin during sleep.

Cognitive behavioral therapy

: a type of psychotherapy that focuses on cognitive processes and problem behaviors.

Chronic insomnia

is almost always associated with feeling overtired and may be associated with symptoms of depression.

Brain waves

during REM sleep are very similar to during wakefulness.

Carl Jung

believed that dreams allowed us to tap into the collective unconscious.

Awareness

of internal stimuli includes feeling pain, hunger, thirst, sleepiness, and being aware of our thoughts and emotions.

Growth hormones

: important for in physical growth, maturation, and other metabolic processes.

Low doses

: feelings of euphoria.

Dopamine activity

is often associated with reward and craving, so drugs that affect dopamine neurotransmission often have abuse liability.

eye movement

Rapid (REM) sleep: darting movements of the eyes under closed eyelids.

Alcohol

is associated with decreases in reaction time and visual acuity, lowered levels of alertness, and reduction in behavioral control.

FSH

and LH: important in regulating the reproductive system.

Night terrors

occur during the NREM phase of sleep.

Hypnosis

may be useful in enhancing memory or a skill, but such enhancements are very modest in nature.

Consciousness

our awareness of internal and external stimuli

Sleep

a state characterized by relatively low levels of physical activity and reduced sensory awareness

Wakefulness

as state characterized by high levels of sensory awareness, thought, and behavior

Biological rhythms

internal rhythms of biological activity (ie menstruation)

Circadian rhythm

a biological rhythm that takes place over a period of about 24 hours (ie the sleep-wake cycle)

Suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)

the area of the hypothalamus the brains clock mechanism is located in

Jet lag

a collection of symptoms that results from the mismatch between our internal circadian cycles and our environment

Rotating shift work

a work schedule that changes from early to late on a daily or weekly basis

Sleep debt

when an individual does not get sufficient sleep on a chronic basis

Sleep rebound

when a sleep-deprived individual tends to take a shorter time to fall asleep during subsequent opportunities for sleep

Sleep involves the secretion and regulation of a number of hormones from several endocrine glands including

melatonin, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and growth hormone

Melatonin

involved in the regulation of various biological rhythms and the immune system

FSH and LH

important in regulating the reproductive system

Growth hormones

important for in physical growth, maturation, and other metabolic processes

Sleep is divided into two phases

REM sleep and non-REM (NREM) sleep

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep

darting movements of the eyes under closed eyelids

non-REM (NREM)sleep

subdivided into four stages distinguished from each other and from wakefulness by patterns of brain waves

Stage 1 sleep

a transitional phase that occurs between wakefulness and sleep, the period during which we drift off to sleep

Stage 2 sleep

the body goes into a state of deep relaxation

Sleep spindle

a rapid burst of higher frequency brain waves that may be important for learning and memory

K-complex

a very high amplitude pattern of brain activity that may occur in response to environmental stimuli

Stage 3 and 4 sleep

deep sleep or slow-wave sleep

REM rebound

when people are deprived of REM sleep and then allowed to sleep without disturbance, they spend more time in REM sleep to make up for lost time

Manifest content

the actual content, or storyline, of a dream

Latent content

the hidden meaning of a dream

Collective unconscious

a theoretical repository of information Jung believed to be shared by everyone

Lucid dreams

dreams in which certain aspects of wakefulness are maintained during a dream state

Insomnia

a consistent difficulty in falling or staying asleep

Cognitive-behavioral therapy

a type of psychotherapy that focuses on cognitive processes and problem behaviors

Parasomnia

one of a group of sleep disorders in which unwanted, disruptive motor activity and/or experiences during sleep play a role

Sleepwalking

the sleeper engages in relatively complex behaviors ranging from wandering about to driving an automobile

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD)

occurs when the muscle paralysis associated with the REM sleep phase does not occur

Restless leg syndrome

uncomfortable sensations in the legs during periods of inactivity or when trying to fall asleep

Night terrors

a sense of panic thats often followed by screams and attempts to escape from the immediate environment

Sleep Apnea

episodes during which a sleepers breathing stops

There are two types of sleep apnea

obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea

occurs when an individuals airway becomes blocked during sleep, and air is prevented from entering the lungs

Central sleep apnea

disruption in signals sent from the brain that regulate breathing cause periods of interrupted breathing

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

an infant stops breathing during sleep and dies

Narcolepsy

when an individual cant resist falling asleep at inopportune times

Physical dependence

changes in normal bodily functions-the user will experience withdrawal from the drug upon cessation of use

Psychological dependence

an individual has an emotional need for the drug and may use the drug to relieve psychological distress

Tolerance

linked to physiological dependence, and occurs when a person requires more and more drug to achieve effects previously experienced at lower doses

Alcohol

in a class of psychoactive drugs known as depressants

Low doses

feelings of euphoria

High doses

feeling sedated

Depressant

a drug that tends to suppress central nervous system activity

Stimulants

drugs that tend to increase overall levels of neural activity

Examples

cocaine, amphetamines, cathinones, MDMA, nicotine, and caffeine

Opioid

one category of drugs that includes heroin, morphine, methadone, and codeine