behavioral sciences set 4 part 2

one's level of awareness of both the world and one's own existence within that world

alertness, sleep, dreaming, and altered states (sleep, hypnosis)

• awake and able to think
• perceive, process, access info and express info verbally
• fibers from prefrontal cortext communicate with reticular formation (in brainstem) to keep cortex awake and alert

• test used to monitor electrical activity in the brain
• consists of beta, alpha, theta and delta waves

when we are awake, high frequency and occur when the person is alert or doing something that requires concentration

are awake but relaxing with our eyes closed, somewhat slower than beta waves, more synchronized than beta waves

• when you doze off
• theta waves (slower frequences and higher voltages on EEG)

EEG with theta waves (sleep spindles and K complexes)

• slow-wave sleep (SWS) EEG activity grows progressively slower until only a few sleep waves per second are seen
• delta waves (low frequency high voltage)
• SWS associated with cognitive recovery and memory consolidation, increased growth hormone release

• stages1-4
• REM is interspersed between cycles of Non-REM

• REM sleep
• arousal levels reach that of wakefuleness (heart rate, breathing and EEG mimic wake), but the muscles are paralyzed (person asleep)
• dreaming and memory consolidation

• single complete progression through the sleep stages
• length of sleep cycle increase as we age

retina has direct connections to hypothalamus, which controls the pineal gland, decreasing light can cause the release of melatonin from pineal gland

• steroid hormone produced in the adrenal cortex
• increase light causes release of CRF (from hypothalamus, which causes release of ACTH, which stimulates cortisol release
• contributes to wakefulness

dreams are caused by widespread random activation of neural circuitry

solve problems while you aresleeping

dreams are sleeping counterpart of steam of consciousness

seek to unify biological and psychological perspectives

disorders that make it difficult to fall asleep, stay asleep or avoid sleep

abnormal movements or behaviors during sleep (night terrors and sleepwalking)

difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep

lack of voluntary control over the onset of sleep

loss of muscle control and sudden intrusion of REM sleep during waking hours, usually caused by emotional trigger

sensation of being unable to move despite being awake

hallucinations when going to sleep or awakening

• inability to breathe during sleep
• obstructive sleep apnea: when physical blockage in pharynx
• central sleep apnea: when brain fails to send signals to diaphragm to breath

intense anxiety that occuring during slow wave sleep in children

an earlier onset and greater during of REM sleep compared to normal after sleep deprivation

a person appears to be in control of his or her normal functions, but is in a highly suggestible state

resembles stage 1 of sleep on EEG