Sleep and Mental Function

4 Classes of Brain Waves

alpha, beta, theta, delta

Apha waves

low amplitude; awake but relaxed; 8-13 Hz

Beta Waves

rhythmic but irregular; awake and alert;14-25 Hz

Theta Waves

Awake children; 4-7HZ

Delta waves

high amplitude; deep sleep ; 4Hz or less

True or False
The amplitude of a brain wave does not reflect the amount of electrical activity of individual neurons, but rather the synchronization of many neurons

True

Brain Waves change with

Age, sensory stimuli, brain disease, and chemical state of the body

consciousness

A person's preception of sensations, voluntary initiation and control of movement, and higher mental processing through activity in the cerebral cortex

clinical consciousness levels

Alertness
Drowsiness
Stupor
Coma

All but what form of unconsciousness are considered to be signs of brain function impariment

sleep

syncope

fainting or sudden loss of consciousness caused by lack of blood supply to the cerebrum

Coma

brain is totally unresponsive due to a blow to the head and damage to the brain

What activity is depressed during sleep

Cortical activity, however some brain stem functions continue as well as HR, respiration and BP

2 Major Types of sleep

Non-rapid eye movement (NREM)
Rapid eye movement (REM)

How long does it take for REM sleep to begin?

90 mins

True or False
NREM sleep gets deeper and deeper and as the sleep continues the frequency of the waves decline while the amplitude increases

FALSE: this is true of REM sleep

4 Stage of NREM

1) Eyes closed relaxed, 1-7 min
2) light sleep, dream fragments occur harder to awaken
3) Moderately deep sleep HR and body temp fall
4) deep sleep, body temp and HR low

REM sleep

HR and respiration increase; most dreaming occurs, short periods of 5-10 minutes initially and gradually lengthen as sleep progresses

When REM hits about how long does it last?

5-10 mins

When does REM begin?

After about 90 minutes

Infant sleeping patterns

Normally sleep about 16 hours wih REM occurring for 50% of the time.

True or False:
REM sleep declines until age 60

FALSE:
REM sleep declines until age 10 when it stabilizes at 25%

What stage of sleep begins to decline steadily throughout life and often disappears completely in those over 60

NREM stage 4

The wakeful state is regulated by

the Reticular Activating System (RAS)

RAS Neurins relay sensory stimuli to the cerebrum through the

thalamus

Within the RAS system what keeps the cerebrum aroused and alert?

The continuous stream of sensory stimuli

What two areas of the brain do languages revolve?

Broca's Area and Wernicke's Area

Working memory

short term memory

What memory has a limitless capacity for information?

Long term memory

Can you forget long term memory?

Yes

Factors of transferring information from STM to LTM

1) Emotional State
2)Rehersal
3)Association
4)Automatic Memory

memory consolidation

Fitting new facts into already existing categories of LTM

Fact Memory

declarative memory

declarative memory

the cognitive information retrieved from explicit memory; such as names, faces and words

Skill Memory

Non-declarative

non-declarative memory

less conscious learning and usually involves motor activities; acquired only through experience and repetition and once learned is hard to unlearn

Brai structures involved in declarative memory

Association Campus
Cortical neurons
Hippocampus
Cerebellum

Association campus

retrieves LTM

Cortical Neurons of basal forebrain

release Ach that send input to the prefrontal cortex and medial temporal lobe to activate LTM

Hippocampus

plays a major role in memory consolidation

Cerebellum

Motor memory

Motor and sensory inputs are sent to

basal nuclei where they either relay input via thalamus to the premotor cortex or recieve input from dopamine releasing neurons in the substantia nigra of the midbrain.

anterograde amnesia

new sensory inputs cannot be associated with the old "lives in the here and now

What is damaged with anterograde amnesia?

Hippocampus and temporal lobes

Retrograde Amnesia

loss of memories formed in the distant past