Question 1

Vanessa crams for her anatomy and physiology final by staying up the entire night before the exam. What is a likely consequence of Vanessa's actions?

Accepted Answer

Staying up all night before an exam leads to sleep deprivation, which impairs cognitive functioning such as memory and attention. This means that Vanessa will likely perform below her fullest potential since she has decreased her capacity to remember the material.

Question 2

Aurora talks to her therapist about a recurring dream in which she encounters a ferocious lion that has just escaped from the local zoo. She works with her therapist to learn how to form a conscious awareness of the dream and to control the dream by turning the lion into a kitten. What technique is Aurora utilizing?

Accepted Answer

Aurora is utilizing lucid dreaming, which is the practice of becoming conscious within a dream state and potentially controlling the dream's outcome.

Question 3

Dora has no problem falling asleep each night, but she wakes up frequently in the middle of the night and often cannot fall back asleep. From what type of insomnia does Dora suffer?

Accepted Answer

Dora's symptoms match those of maintenance insomnia, which is characterized by difficulty in staying asleep and frequently waking up during the night. Duration insomnia refers to difficulty in staying asleep for enough time to feel rested, while continuance insomnia is a persistent difficulty in falling or staying asleep. Interval insomnia refers to nighttime awakenings that occur at regular intervals, such as every hour.

Question 4

Which disorder is correlated with individuals spending a greater portion of their sleeping time in REM?

Accepted Answer

Depression is correlated with individuals spending a greater portion of their sleeping time in REM. Research has shown that depressed individuals tend to enter REM sleep earlier in the sleep cycle, spend more time in REM sleep, and have a greater percentage of REM sleep overall.

Question 5

Why is it thought that the human infant spends about half of its sleep time in REM?

Accepted Answer

REM sleep is believed to play a critical role in brain development and the "wiring" of neural connections. Infants spend a lot of time in REM sleep because it is during this stage that the brain processes and consolidates new information and experiences from wakefulness. Additionally, the stimulation provided during REM sleep is thought to be important in promoting the development of the visual system and other sensory pathways.

Question 6

Darius suffers from insomnia; his family practitioner prescribes zolpidem to treat this insomnia. What can Darius expect from the medication?

Accepted Answer

Zolpidem is a non-benzodiazepine hypnotic that is used to treat insomnia. It works by binding to the GABA receptors in the brain, which helps to promote sleep. Zolpidem is typically taken 30 minutes before bedtime and can help people fall asleep 15 minutes faster and stay asleep 30 minutes longer.

Question 7

Maria dreams that she is standing in the middle of the street as a bus travels toward her, but she feels frozen and cannot move out of the way. According to which theory, does Maria's inability to move reflect the muscle paralysis that occurs during the REM state?

Accepted Answer

The activation-synthesis theory of dreams suggests that dreams result from the brain's attempt to make sense of random neural activity that occurs during sleep, particularly during the REM (rapid eye movement) stage, when the body is paralyzed to prevent acting out dreams. Maria's dream of being unable to move reflects this muscle paralysis.

Question 8

What is the physiological basis for night terrors?

Accepted Answer

Night terrors are associated with the transition from Stage 4 N-REM sleep to REM sleep going awry, not with the normal dreaming process, sleep spindles, K-complexes, or hyperstimulation of beta waves during REM sleep.

Question 9

One hypothesized mechanism by which antidepressant medications help to regulate mood is the suppression of _____ sleep.

Accepted Answer

Antidepressant medications are thought to regulate mood by increasing the levels of certain neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and norepinephrine. These neurotransmitters are involved in the regulation of REM sleep, and it has been hypothesized that antidepressants may suppress REM sleep in order to increase the availability of these neurotransmitters. Studies have shown that certain antidepressants, such as SSRIs, can reduce the amount of REM sleep a person gets. Therefore, the best choice is D (REM).

Question 10

The part of the brain that has been found to be most active during lucid dreaming is the _____, which suggests that such dreams occur when this brain area just "wakes up" during sleep.

Accepted Answer

Studies have found that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is most active during lucid dreaming, and this area of the brain is responsible for higher-order cognitive processes such as self-awareness, planning, and decision-making. The activation of the DLPFC during lucid dreaming suggests that this brain region is responsible for the metacognitive awareness necessary for recognizing that one is in a dream state.

Question 11

Which scenario best illustrates the concept of a night terror?

Accepted Answer

A night terror is a sleep disorder in which the individual demonstrates acute distress during sleep, often with screaming, sweating, or thrashing. The person may be difficult to awaken and may not remember the episode the next morning. Option C describes this scenario accurately. Option A describes a nightmare, option B describes a sleep apnea-related breathing problem, and option D describes a recurring nightmare.

Question 12

New mom Lin was up most of the night with her infant daughter. To give Lin a chance to sleep, her husband takes the baby to his parents' house for a few hours. As soon as they leave, Lin falls fast asleep. What stage of sleep does Lin likely enter to compensate for her lack of sleep?

Accepted Answer

The answer of New mom Lin was up most of...

Question 13

Study participants who were selectively deprived of stages 3 and 4 N-REM sleep reported

Accepted Answer

Stages 3 and 4 N-REM sleep, also known as deep sleep, are crucial for physical recovery and repair. Deprivation of these stages can lead to muscle and joint pain due to insufficient recovery.

Question 14

What is a typical REM and N-REM cycling in humans?

Accepted Answer

During a typical night, N-REM sleep dominates the first half of the sleep cycle, with longer, deeper N-REM periods. As the night progresses, REM sleep periods increase in length, especially in the second half of the sleep cycle, leading to the pattern described in option A.

Question 15

What is the evidence to suggest that sleep plays an important role in repairing the body?

Accepted Answer

Human growth hormone is released during Stages 3 and 4 of N-REM sleep, which is important for tissue repair and growth. Melatonin is important for regulating the sleep-wake cycle, but not specifically for repairing the body. Prothrombin is involved in blood clotting and has no known relationship to sleep or body repair. While phagocytes and lymphocytes are involved in the immune system, there is no evidence to suggest that their maturation specifically occurs during Stage 1 N-REM sleep.

Question 16

Aviva wakes up abruptly after she dreams she is falling from the sky. She is relieved to find herself safe and secure in her comfortable bed. What may have caused Aviva to feel as if she were falling?

Accepted Answer

Activation of the vestibular system is responsible for providing information about body position and movement in space, including changes in acceleration and gravity. When a person falls in a dream or in real life, their vestibular system detects a sudden change in acceleration and sends signals to the brain that can cause the sensation of falling. This sensation can sometimes be strong enough to wake a person up abruptly, as in Aviva's case.

Question 17

Carlos stands in front of his Thursday night slam poetry group to recite his most recent work. He suddenly experiences temporary muscle paralysis but does not lose consciousness, a condition termed

Accepted Answer

Carlos is experiencing cataplexy, which is a sudden and transient episode of muscle weakness or paralysis triggered by strong emotions such as laughter, joy, anger, or surprise. It is a hallmark symptom of narcolepsy, a chronic neurological disorder that affects the brain's ability to regulate sleep-wake cycles and causes excessive daytime sleepiness. Dyspnea refers to difficulty breathing, ataxia to lack of muscular coordination, and narcolepsy to sudden, uncontrollable episodes of sleep. None of these adequately describe Carlos's symptoms.

Question 18

Consuela stands in front of her American History class to give a presentation. She suddenly loses consciousness and suffers a "sleep attack" referred to as

Accepted Answer

Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and sudden sleep attacks, which can lead to loss of muscle tone (cataplexy). In this scenario, Consuela's sudden loss of consciousness during a presentation is a classic symptom of narcolepsy. Dyspnea refers to difficulty breathing, while ataxia refers to uncoordinated movements, neither of which are indicated in this scenario.

Question 19

Dan, startled by the sound of a loud thump in the middle of the night, catches a glimpse of his roommate Yi wandering around their dorm room. The next morning Dan asks about the loud thump and Yi replies, "I think I was asleep the entire night . . . but I have been known to sleepwalk from time to time." What stage of sleep was Yi likely experiencing while sleepwalking?

Accepted Answer

Sleepwalking typically occurs during Stage 3 or 4 N-REM sleep, also known as slow-wave sleep. This stage is characterized by deep sleep, slow brain waves, and reduced muscle tone.

Question 20

During REM sleep, specific brainstem neurons show reduced activity. What types of neurotransmitters are released by these neurons?

Accepted Answer

The specific brainstem neurons that show reduced activity during REM sleep release the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine.

Quiz 6: The Aware Mind Elements of Consciousness