Carlson (7e) Chapter 9 Sleep and Biological Rhythms.ppt

Carlson-Physiology of Behavior 6/e, Allyn and Bacon Carlson (7e) Chapter 9: Sleep and Biological Rhythms Sleep Sleep is a behavior and an altered state of consciousness Sleep is associated with an urge to lie down for several hours in a quiet environment Few movements occur during sleep (eye movements) The nature of consciousness is changed during sleep We experience some dreaming during sleep We may recall very little of the mental activity that occurred during sleep We spend about a third of our lives in sleep A motivated behavior occupying a large amount of our 24-hour cycle A basic issue is to understand the function of sleep Measures of Sleep Electrophysiological instruments can be used in the sleep laboratory to assess the physiological changes that occur during an episode of sleep Muscle tone (EMG) Summated brain wave activity (EEG) Wakefulness: beta activity (13-30 Hz) is present in the EEG record (desynchrony: low amplitude, high frequency waveforms) Eyes closed: alpha activity (8-12 Hz) appears in the EEG record (synchrony: high amplitude, low frequency waveforms) Eye movements (EOG) Pressure transducers respiration genitals Temperature transducers (e.g., blood flow to the genitals) EEG Waveforms During Sleep Characterization of EEG Activity EEG frequencies beta: 13-30 Hz (desynchronized) alpha: 8-12 Hz (synchronized) theta: 3.5-7.5 Hz (synchronized) delta: 3.5 Hz (synchronized) sleep spindles: short bursts of 12-14 Hz activity K complexes: very brief large spike activity Lower frequencies are usually higher amplitude (“synchronized”) activity Non-REM Sleep Alpha, delta, theta activity are present in the EEG record Stages 1 and 2 (subject reports “not asleep”) Stages 3 and 4: delta activity Termed slow-wave sleep (SWS) Stage 4 has a higher proportion of delta activity (50%) Light, even respiration Muscle control is present (toss and turn, twitch) Dreaming (emotional lacking detailed imagery) Difficult to rouse from stage 4 SWS (resting brain?) First