Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Physiology 2 > Sleep > Flashcards

Sleep Flashcards

(50 cards)

Start Studying
1
Q

What are brain rhythms?

A

Distinct patterns of neuronal activity that are associated with specific behaviours, arousal levels and sleep state

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What does EEG stand for?

A

Electroencephalogram

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is an EEG?

A

Measurement of electrical activity generated by the brain and recorded through the scalp

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What does carrying out an EEG involve?

A

Placing non-invasive electrodes at standard positions on the head

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

How are the EEG electrodes labelled?

A

Letter corresponds to the lobe of the brain

Even numbers on the right and odd numbers on the left

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What are EEGs primarily used to help?

A

Diagnose neurological disorders (epilepsy)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What do EEGs measure?

A

The combined activity of a large number of similarly orientated neurons

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What does an EEG reflect?

A

Summed post-synaptic activity of large cell ensembles

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What does the amplitude of an EEG signal depend on?

A

How synchronous the activity of a group of cells is

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What are high frequency low amplitude EEGs associated with?

A

Alertness and waking

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What are low frequency high amplitude EEGs associated with?

A

Non-dreaming sleep

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What happens if the same amount of excitation occurs at irregular intervals?

A

Small summed signal

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What do synaptic connections between excitatory and inhibitory thalamic neurons do?

A

Force each individual neuron to conform to the rhythm of the group

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

How are coordinated rhythms passed to the cerebral cortex?

A

Thalamocortical axons

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What do excitatory and inhibitory interconnections of neurons result in?

A

A coordinated synchronous pattern of activity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What is sleep?

A

A readily reversible state of reduced responsiveness to, and interaction with, the environment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What are the two distinct states of sleep?

A

REM and non-REM

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is non-REM sleep?

A

Body capable of involuntary movement, rarely accompanied by vivid, detailed dreams

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What is REM sleep?

A

Body immobilised, accompanied by vivid, detailed dreams

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What are the physiological states in non-REM sleep?

A

Decreased temp and brain energy consumption, massively decreased heart rate and blood pressure

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What are the physiological states in REM sleep?

Study These Flashcards
A

Massively decreased temp, decreased and irregular heart rate and breathing and massively increased brain consumption

22
Q

What does an EEG look like in non-REM sleep?

Study These Flashcards
A

High amplitude, low frequency

23
Q

What does an EEG look like in REM sleep?

Study These Flashcards
A

Low amplitude, high frequency

24
Q

What movement occurs in non-REM sleep?

Study These Flashcards
A

Occasional and involuntary

25
What movement occurs in REM sleep?
Muscle paralysis: movement commanded by the brain but not carried out
26
How many stages of sleep are there?
4
27
What does each night begin with?
Non-REM sleep
28
How often do sleep stages cycle?
Approx every 90 mins
29
What are the two schools of thought for why we sleep?
Restoration or adaptation
30
What neural mechanisms contribute to wakefulness?
Increase in brainstem activity and neurons increasing rate of firing in anticipation of wakening
31
What chemicals are related to increased wakefulness and where are they released from?
``` ACh - basal forebrain Hypocretin - lateral hypothalamus Histamine - midbrain Serotonin - raphe nuclei Noradrenaline - locus coeruleus ```
32
What are the neural mechanisms in sleep?
Decrease in brainstem activity and neurons decreasing rate of firing during sleep
33
What neurons have been shown to increased rate of firing and are linked with dreaming?
Cholinergic neurons in pons
34
What have been shown to block the flow of sensory information up to the cortex?
Rhythmic forms of firing in the thalamus
35
What are the sleep promoting factors?
Adenosine, nitric oxide, melatonin, inflammatory factors
36
How does adenosine promote sleep?
Receptor activation decreases heart rate, respiratory rate and smooth muscle tone Inhibits ACh, norepinephrine and serotonin
37
How does nitric oxide promote sleep?
Potent vasodilator, adenosine release stimulator and decreasing smooth muscle tone
38
How does melatonin promote sleep?
Secreted by the pineal gland at night and shown to initiate and maintain sleep
39
How do inflammatory factors promote sleep?
IL-1 levels are shown to promote non-REM sleep
40
What is a circadian rhythm?
Any rhythm with a period of approx 24 hrs
41
What happens to circadian rhythms if day/night cycles are removed from the environment?
They continue
42
What is a zeitberger?
Environmental time cue
43
Where are isolation studies best conducted?
Deep caves
44
What is a free running state?
Without zeitbergers so ‘natural’ circadian rhythm
45
What is the free running internal biological clock of a human?
24.5-25.5 hrs
46
What is the suprachiasmatic nucleus?
Small hypothalamic nucleus that relays retinal innervation and synchronises circadian rhythms with the daily light-dark cycle
47
Does suprachiasmatic nucleus inhibition abolish sleep?
No
48
What happens if individual suprachiasmatic nucleus neurons are isolated and grown mature?
Their activites continue as it would within the SCN
49
What do suprachiasmatic nucleus clock genes produce?
Proteins that send feedback to the suprachiasmatic nucleus and inhibit further protein production
50
What resets the suprachiasmatic nucleus everyday?
Light information from the retina

Physiology 2 (38 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions