PSC ch. 5

a person's subjective experience of the world as a result of brain activity

we cannot determine if two people are experiencing the same stimulus the same way

1. perform complex tasks involving input from several brain parts

automatic tasks vs controlled tasks

2. interact w/ those around us in a meaningful way (socializing)

• 3. participate in complicated thought
• (problem solving)

consciousness comes from the pattern of brain circuits that are activated

no single brain area is responsible for overall awareness

a patient condition where he/she is unaware that they are not attending to half of their visual field

processing that occurs outside our conscious awareness

a normal pattern that regulate our sleep

environment of light/dark affects it too

• suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)
• receives light/dark info from the visual system

• pineal gland
• receives info from the SCN
• releases the hormones of melatonin

darkness triggers its release from the pineal gland

lightness inhibits its production and release

it help people fall asleep

help ppl. deal w/ jet lag or shift work

beta waves: short irregular waves (alert/attentive)

alpha waves: moderate regular waves (relaxed/closed eyes)

• stage 1
• theta waves
• transition of wakefulness to sleep
• easily awaken
• may "see" geometric shapes, images

theta waves   

sleep spindles (bursts of high freq. waves)                -occur in stages 1-4

• K-complexes (burst of slower waves)  
•        -triggered by unexpected noise       
•             -occur only in stage 2

helps us sleep by having the brain filter out loud noises disruption

• delta waves (large regular waves)
•     slow wave sleep

• difficult to awaken
• disoriented if they do wake up

still process relevant info

• Beta waves
•     -brain looks similar to wakeful state

most muscles in the body are paralyzed

dreaming

occurs ~ 90 minutes after falling asleep

for neural development and making new brain pathway

function to consolidate learned info

REM sleep deprivation

ppl spend more time in REM sleep after deprivation

a certain amount of REM sleep is important and the body will "make up" lost REM sleep

• short term (2-3 days)
•     little affect on physical abilities
•     but quiet tasks is often impaired

• long term
•     increases in mood disorders
•     decreases in cognitive performance, attention and short term memory

beneficial to people w/ major depressive disorders

causes an increase activation of 5-HT receptors

inability to sleep because a decline in a person's mental health and ability to function

relate to depression

major cause: anxiety over falling asleep

the closure of airways during sleep, causing person to wake up briefly to gasp for air

relate to daytime fatigue, problems concentrating, cardiovascular problems and stroke

potential cause in obesity

excessive sleepiness during periods of normal waking hours

has the potential to be very dangerous

• caused by:
• genetic condition(abnormal neural transmitter-orexin)

autoimmune disorder- can be treated with immunoglobulin

• Non- REM dreams
•   dull & boring
•   involve completing mundane tasks
•   deactivation of many brain regions

• REM dreams
•   bizarre
•   include intense emotions, auditory and visual hallucination
•   acceptance of illogical events

activation and deactivation of some brain regions

activation of areas associated with reward, emotion and motivation

deactivation of prefrontal cortex

pattern of activation allows visual and emotional areas to interact w/o rational thought or control

normal REM sleep paralysis does not occur, causing ppl to act out dreams while asleep

• cause: neurological deficits and neurodegenerative disorders
• mainly in older men

• restorative theory
• circadian rhythm theory
• facilitation of learning

states that sleep serves to allow the body to rest and repair itself if needed

• restock brain's energy
• restock/strengthen immune system
• repairs damaged tissue through release of hormone

states that animals sleep at times when they are in greatest danger to remain quiet and hidden

how much sleep depend on how much time the animal must obtain food and how easily it can hide and how vulnerable it is

neural activations activated during wakeful learning are strengthened during sleep

occurs in slow waves and REM sleep

increased memory/task performance when a period of sleep occurs between initial and subsequent testing

dreams are made up of hidden content that represent some unconscious conflict

manifest content-how a dream is remembered

latent content-what the dream symbolizes

drugs that enhance neurotransmitter actions

increase production of NT

block reuptake of NT from the synapse

• mimic a NT and bind to it's postsynaptic receptors
• activate the receptors
• increase NT effects

drugs that inhibit neurotransmitter actions

decrease production of NT

increase enzymatic deactivation in synapse

• mimic a NT and bind to its postsynaptic receptors
• block NT binding
• decrease NT effects

mental/physical state that includes feelings of anxiety/tension and cravings for the drugs

when the person no longer responds to the drug in the way that person initially responded

thus taking higher level of drug doses to achieve the same result

depressants

stimulants

hallucinogens

decrease neural activity; slow body function

excite neural activity; speed body function

distort perception and cause sensory images in the absence of sensory input

activation synthesis theory

evolved threat-rehearsal theory

states that while sleeping, the brain tries to make sense of random neural firing by associating it w/ stored memories

states that dreams simulate a potential threat and allow for rehearsal of an appropriate response

sees dream as evolutionary adaption

• morphine, heroin, codeine
• used for pain management

alcohol

they bind to opiate receptors to increase rewarding plasure of the drug

bind to DA receptors to increase motivation to use the drug

long term use = brain stops making its own opiates, endorphins

depressants

• biphasic actions:
• stimulates DA pathway- rewarding effects

stimulates GABA pathway- depressive effects

low doses- slow sympathetic nervous system

• high doses- impaired motor function
•                  REM sleep supression

stimulants

• caffeine increases activity of ACh, 5-HT, DA, Glu
• decreases GABA activity at high doses

• nicotine activates ACh receptors in the periphery and in the brain
• may increase DA activity in reward areas

stimulants

increase DA, NE, 5HT in the synapse

antagonists blocks reuptake, leaving the neurotransmitters in the synapse long, giving more time to act

• short lived high, fast crash
• due to depleted DA, NE, 5 H-T supplies

stimulants

methamphetamine

• increase release of DA from the presynaptic neuron
• blocks reuptake of DA by the presynaptic neuron
• prolonged effects

• long term use = neural damage
•                        decreased DA production
•                        physical damage

stimulants

a type of ecstacy

• stimulates DA release
• stimulates 5 HT release and blocks its reuptake

• long term- memory/mood impairments
•                circadian rhythm disruption

mild hallucinogen

hallucinogens

• chemically similar to 5-HT
•    block 5-HT actions; damage neurons that produce it

tolerance develops quickly; diminish quickly after stopping use

depressant, stimulant, hallucinogen

active ingredient is THC 

THC binds to THC sensitive receptors (cannabinoid receptors- frontal lobe, hippocampus, motor cortex)

• enhance mental activity
• inhibit pain perception
• impair memory

mental procedure that focuses attention on external object or a sense of awareness

a social interaction during which a person, responding to suggestions, experiences changes in memory, perception and voluntary action