Ch. 4 Psych

Sleep terrors

- an episode of increased physiological arousal, intense fear and panic, frightening hallucination, and no recall of the episode the next morning.

Cataplexy

70% of people with narcolepsy experience regular episodes of cataplexy. Cataplexy is a sudden loss of voluntary muscle strength and control that is usually triggered by an emotion.

Circadian Rhythm/Clock

A circadian rhythm is roughly 24.2 hours long and controls the cyclical daily fluctuations in biological and psychological processes. Affects body temperature, cortisol secretion, sleep and wakefulness, secretion of melatonin, and the release of growth hormones.

Lucid Dreaming

A lucid dream is any dream where one is aware that they are dreaming

Problems with multitasking

A person's performance on both tasks is impaired. Multitasking is less likely to cause interference when significant task variation is present. Visual task absorption can produce inattentional deafness; auditory task absorption can produce inattentional blindness.

Physiological effects of sleep, dreams, and sleep deprivation

Adequate sleep allows us to function most effectively. Sleeping and dreaming has been shown to improve memory because throughout the night memories are reactivated during the 90-minute cycles of sleep. Sleep deprivation leads to microsleeps, and a disruption in mood, mental abilities, reaction time, perceptual skills, and complex motor skills.

How alcohol affects the brain and behavior

Alcohol depresses the brain centers responsible for judgement and self-control which can contribute to violent behavior.

Functions of Pineal Gland - melatonin

As the sun sets, the SCN triggers an increase in the production of a hormone called melatonin. Melatonin is manufactured by the pineal gland which is an endocrine gland located in the brain. Shortly before sunrise, the pineal gland stops producing melatonin and you soon wake up. As the sun rises, exposure to sunlight and other bright light suppresses melatonin levels, and they remain very low throughout the day.

How caffeine and nicotine work in the synapse

Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors in the brain which blocks adenosine's sleep-inducing effects. Caffeine's adenosine-blocking ability also stimulates indirect and mild dopamine release in the brain's reward system.

Effects of "Club Drugs"

Club drugs (ecstasy) are synthesized in a laboratory and refer to psychoactive drugs that are popular at clubs.

How cocaine works in the synapse

Cocaine blocks the reuptake of three neurotransmitters - dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. Blocking the reuptake of these neurotransmitters increases the effect of these neurotransmitters.

Consciousness

Consciousness is your personal and immediate awareness of mental activity, internal sensations, external stimuli and the world around you, and planning or active problem-solving.

Effects of Depressants

Depressants (alcohol, inhalants) inhibit central nervous system activity and produce drowsiness, sedations, or sleep. Depressants can also relieve anxiety and lower inhibitions

Two Track Mind - Selective Attention

Dual processing states that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious levels. The two track mind refers to serial conscious processing (solving problems with focused attention) and unconscious parallel processing ("automatic pilot" taking care of routine business).

● How we move through the four stages of sleep - how much stage 4 sleep; how much REM sleep is needed

Each sleep cycle lasts about 90 minutes on average. Stage 4 NREM sleep lasts about 20-40 minutes and the first episode of REM sleep is about 5-15 minutes but the episodes of REM sleep get longer as the night progresses. Typically, a sleeper goes through 5 90-minute cycles a night.

Dissociation and hypnosis

Ernest Hilgard believed that the hypnotized person experiences dissociation - the splitting of consciousness into two or more simultaneous streams of mental activity. According to the neodissociation theory of hypnosis, a hypnotized person consciously experiences one stream of mental activity that complies with the hypnotist's suggestions. But a second stream is processing information that is unavailable to the consciousness of the hypnotized subject (hidden observer).

REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

Failure of the brain mechanisms that normally suppress voluntary action during REM sleep. The person now verbally and physically responds to dreams.

Meditative stat

Focusing on the present time and away from distractions

Freudian Dream Interpretation: Manifest and Latent Content, origin of dream content

Freud believed that dreams have two components: the manifest content (the dream images themselves) and the latent content (the psychological meaning of the dream). Freud believed that the dream images themselves are symbols that disguise the dream's true psychological meaning.

Ernest Hilgard - Hidden Observer test in hypnosis

Hilgard developed the experiment where a hypnotized person had their hand in circulating ice water for several minutes and the hypnotized person reported that they felt no pain while the non-hypnotized subject felt pain/discomfort.

Hypermnesia

Hypermnesia refers to the supposed enhancement of memory for past events through hypnotic suggestion. Hypnosis does not significantly enhance memory or improve the accuracy of memories, in fact enhancing memories hypnotically can lead to distortions and inaccuracies that the person can be convinced is accurate.

●Hypnosis: how it's done, mental and physical conditions under hypnosis

Hypnosis is often induced by speaking in a calm, monotonous voice, suggesting that the person is becoming drowsy, sleepy, and progressively more relaxed. Hypnosis produces a highly focused, absorbed state of attention that minimizes competing thoughts and attention. It also creates vivid images and fantasies and a willingness to accept distortions of logic or reality.

● What happens if someone is deprived of REM sleep or NREM Stage 4 Sleep

If someone is deprived of REM sleep they experience REM rebound - the amount of time spent in REM sleep increases by as much as 50%. Similarly, if someone is deprived of NREM Stage 4 sleep then they would experience NREM rebound, spending more time in NREM sleep.

Inattentional blindness, change blindness, choice blindness

Inattentional blindness: one doesn't notice some significant object or event that is in a clear field of vision. Change blindness: failing to notice changes in the environment. Choice blindness: refers to the lack of awareness of our own decisions and preferences.

Characteristics of people who are good candidates for hypnosis

Individuals who approach the experience with positive, receptive attitudes. Children tend to be more responsive to hypnosis than adults.

Meditation: difference with hypnosis

Meditation involves using a mental or physical technique to induce a state of focused attention and heightened awareness.

Anton Mesmer and James Braid - role in hypnosis

Mesmer thought that sickness was due to magnetic fluid being misaligned in the body. He used magnets to realign the fluid; inadvertently discovering hypnosis. James Braid coined the term hypnosis and later tried to change the name to mono-idealism meaning a single thought or idea.

Altered State of Consciousness

Minimal consciousness: low-level sensory awareness; the mind inputs sensations and may output behavior. Full consciousness: you know and are able to report your mental state. Self-consciousness: attention is drawn to the self as an object.

Effects of Opiates

Opiates (codeine, Vicodin, heroin) occupy endorphin receptor sites in the brain and produce a sense of euphoria.

How heroin and morphine work in the synapse

Opioids occupy endorphin (body's natural painkiller) receptor sites in the brain. Opioids alter an individual's reaction to pain by reducing the brain's perception of pain.

Effects of Psychedelic drugs

Psychedelic drugs (lsd, mary j) create profound perceptual distortions, alter mood, and affect thinking.

● REM Sleep - role in memory; physiological condition during REM sleep

REM sleep is characterized by fast, active beta waves that is accompanied by rapid eye movements. Dreaming usually occurs during REM sleep. Although the brain is very active, voluntary muscle activity is suppressed, which prevents the sleeper from acting out the dream. Sexual arousal can also occur. New memories formed throughout the day are reactivated during the 90-minute cycles of sleep that occur throughout the night.

4 stages of non-REM sleep - EEG Brain Waves at each stage

Stage 1 NREM: This stage lasts only a few minutes and is a transitional stage during which you gradually disengage from the sensations of the surrounding world. Mixture of alpha and theta brain waves. Stage 2 NREM: Onset of true sleep. Defined by the appearance of sleep spindles, brief bursts of brain activity that last a second or two, and K complexes, single high-voltage spikes of brain activity. Theta brain waves and the beginnings of delta waves. Stage 3 NREM: Occurs when delta brain waves represent more than 20% of total brain activity and also includes theta brain waves. Stage 4 NREM: Delta brain waves come to represent 100% of all brain activity. Heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate drop to their lowest levels. Sleepwalking occurs during Stage 4 NREM sleep.

State view and Non-state view of hypnosis

State View: Hypnosis is a unique state of consciousness. According to the neodissociation theory of hypnosis, consciousness is split into two simultaneous streams of mental activity during hypnosis. One stream remains conscious but the other-the one responding to the hypnotist's suggestions- is "dissociated" from awareness. Non-State View: Rejects the argument that hypnosis is a "special" state of consciousness. The social-cognitive view of hypnosis states that subjects are conforming to the expectations of the hypnotist, their own expectations, and situational cues.

Adaptive sleep theory

States that different sleep patterns evolved as a way of conserving energy and preventing a particular species from interacting with the environment when doing so is most hazardous (ex. Cattle sleep in short bursts that total only about 4 hours/day, lions sleep as much as 15 hr/day).

Effects of Stimulants

Stimulants (caffeine, amphetamines) increase brain activity and increase mental alertness and reduce fatigue.

Suprachiasmatic nucleus - location and function

The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is a cluster of neurons in the hypothalamus in the brain that governs the timing of circadian rhythms.

● Hypnagogic Hallucinations

Visual, auditory, or other sensory events that occur from the transition from wakefulness to sleep or sleep to wakefulness.

Activation-Synthesis Theory of Dreaming, and Information Processing Theory

When you go into REM sleep, the auditory, visual, and motor pathways become activated. J. Allan Hobson and Robert McCarley believed that brain activity during sleep produces dream images (activation), which are combined by the brain into a dream story (synthesis). The meaning behind dreams is the way the dreamer, once awake, makes sense of the progression of chaotic dream images. The information process theory states that information that comes from the environment is subject to mental processes beyond a simple stimulus-response pattern.

William James view of Consciousness

William James described consciousness as a "stream" that helps provide us with a sense of personal identity that is continuous from day to day.

Sleepsex

abnormal sexual behaviors and experiences during sleep, sleeper won't recall the episode.

Parasomnias

category of sleep disorders characterized by arousal or activation during sleep or sleep transitions.

● Sleep disorders: Narcolepsy

excessive daytime sleepiness and brief lapses into sleep throughout the day.

Restless leg syndrome

irresistible urge to move your legs when you lie down.

Sleep-related eating disorder

the sleeper will sleepwalk and eat compulsively

Sleep Apnea

when a person repeatedly stops breathing during sleep due to the sleeper's airways become narrowed or blocked, causing very shallow breathing.