Chapter 5: Consciousness PDF

Preview

Summary

Summary of Chapter 5...

Description

CHAPTER 5 – CONSCIOUSNESS Consciousness: awareness of our environment and ourselves Altered state of consciousness (ASC): temporary - occurs during sleep and dreaming - can be due to psychoactive drug use Selective Attention  Stream of consciousness (James) o Constantly changing o Sometimes focus is intentional; sometimes not  Selective attention o Intentional o Focus conscious awareness onto specific stimuli, filtering out others Perceptual [Inattentional] Blindness  Failure to notice a fully visible but unexpected stimulus when our attention is directed elsewhere o e.g. magic o e.g. distracted driving

High

Moderate

Low

Continuum of Awareness  Controlled processes – studying, drawing, writing o Requires focused attention o Can interfere with other activities  Automatic processes – walking, crocheting o Requires minimal attention o Generally little impact on other activities  Subconscious – sleeping, dreaming o Below conscious awareness  Little or no awareness – coma, anaesthesia

 

Controlled Focused attention Supersedes attention to other activities

 

Automatic Requires minimal attention Have little impact on other activities

Distracted Driving Study  Four driving conditions o Alone o With a passenger o Hands-free device o FaceTime/Skype  Measured o Speed o Distance from other cars o Collisions Sleep and Dreams Circadian Rhythms: Bodily functions that cycle across 24h periods [approximately]  Sleep  Alertness  Core body temperature  Mood  Learning efficiency  Blood pressure  Metabolism  Immune response  Pulse Circadian Process 1. Eyes send light/dark info to the SCN [hypothalamus] 2. SCN triggers the pineal gland to release melatonin 3. SCN also guided by melatonin in blood (feedback loop) Consequences of Disrupted Sleep  Decreased cognitive and motor performance  Irritability  Fatigue and inattention  Cortisol o Impaired immune function (colds), cancer  Obesity  Impulsivity Common Circadian Disruptions  Early secondary school start times o Pubertal phase-shift  Melatonin released in adults @10pm; teens @1am  Waking teens @7am is like waking an adult @4am  Delayed school start times reduce car crashes, improve academic performance, attendance  Jet lag



Shift work

Correlates of Chronotype  Morning Larks o Persistence, self-directness, cooperativeness  Night Owls o Novelty seeking, harm avoidance  Other studies show risk for bipolar, substance abuse Sleep Theories  Evolutionary / Adaptive / Protection: conserve energy, avoid predators active at night  Repair / Restoration: recuperate from daily activities o REM rebound  Growth / Development: time spent in stage 3 related to growth / development; time to reorganize brain  Learning / Memory: consolidation / storage / maintenance of knowledge o REM increases after stress / intense learning How Psychologists Study Sleep  Questionnaires: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index o Subjective sleep quality, sleep patency, sleep duration, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances, use of sleeping medications, and daytime dysfunction over the last month  Interviews  Sleep studies Stages of Sleep 1. Awake – Beta Waves 2. Drowsy – Alpha Waves 3. NREM* Stage 1 Sleep – Theta Waves 4. NREM Stage 2 Sleep – Spindles, Mix 5. NREM Stage 3 Sleep – Deepest 6. REM Sleep – Dreams *Non Rapid Eye Movement   



Stage 1 o Drowsy, myoclonic jerks, falling sensation Stage 2 o Decreased muscle activity Stage 3 o Deepest sleep; difficult to wake up  If waked, drowsy/confused o Sleep walking, bed wetting, sleep talking Normal Sleep o 4-5 90 minute cycles

o Light – Deep – Light

      



REM: Dream Sleep Paradoxical: brain looks relaxed but awake Eyeballs: move up and down Breathing/Pulse: fast and irregular Genitals: sometimes aroused Muscles: deeply relaxed and unresponsive [paralysis] Sleep Stage: lightest Dream Theories Wish Fulfillment (Freud) o Repressed, unacceptable desires bubble up as ‘manifest content’ (symbols, e.g. phallis) Activation-Synthesis o Random, spontaneous stimulation of brain cells combined into dreams o Personalities, experiences, memories guide how they are combined

Why do we dream?  Cognitive o Information processing to help ‘sort out’ experiences o Studies show relationship between dream content and waking thoughts, fears, concerns What do we dream about?  Universals o Attacked/pursued o School o Falling o Arriving late o Sex o Death/Dead people o Lost o Misfortune o Paralyzed o Victims o Flying o Naked in public  Women o Children o Family o Indoor events  Men o Strangers o Violence o Sex o Outdoors o Achievement  Children o Monsters

o Wild animals Sleep-Wake Disorders Lifetime prevalence is high Insomnia  Persistent difficulty falling/staying asleep  Waking too early  Not feeling rested  Frequently comorbid with other physical and behavioural health conditions

o o o o o

Treatment At night Remove time information from o sleep space Muscles relaxation o Visual imagery o Deep breathing  Warm bath 

During the day Exercise Regular hours Avoid stimulants Caffeine Nicotine

Narcolepsy  Uncontrolled sleep attacks  Prevalence 1/2000  REM-like sleep intrudes inti consciousness  Cataplexy – muscle weakness; paralysis Treatment o Antidepressants o Naps Sleep Apnea  Failure to breath o 60+ seconds  Wake up gasping for breath  Blocked upper airway or brain fails to signal diaphragm Treatment o Only on your back o Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)  Tennis ball jammies  Steady stream of air o Reduce alcohol use, lose o Dental appliances to weight reposition tongue NREM Sleep Disorders  NREM o Large muscles paralyzed during REM  Sleep walking  Sleep talking  Night terror (vs. nightmare in REM)  Most common in children

o In adults, more serious; PTSD, other mental health conditions Sleep Medication  Over the counter sleep medications generally not effective  Prescription sleep medications are effective o Tranquilizers, barbiturates work but decrease stage 3 sleep, REM, sleep quality o Many are addictive  Melatonin is a safer alternative

 

Drugs of Abuse What are “drugs of abuse”? Psychoactive drugs: drugs that change mental processes o e.g. conscious awareness, mood perception Common/legal psychoactive drugs o alcohol, caffeine, nicotine

Why do people become addicted to drugs/behaviours? 1. Tolerance 2. Dependence 3. Reward a. Feeling good (positive reinforcement) b. Relieving a bad feeling (negative reinforcement)    

  

 

Tolerance Tolerance: body adjusts to continued presence of a drug; user requires more to get the original effect Cross-Tolerance: use of one drug increases tolerance for another Dependence Physical: bodily changes that make a drug necessary for functioning Psychological: after exposure to the drug/behaviour, desire or craving to experience a drug/behaviour’s effect Reward Pathway Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) and Substantia Nigra (Dopamine neurons) is where the reward pathway starts Dopamine projections to frontal lobe Not just for drugs! Food, water, sex, nurturing Drug Abuse and Addiction Drug abuse: drug taking behaviours that cause emotional/physical harm to self, others Addiction: person requires a drug or activity to function, avoid reactions to its absence  Broad term



Compulsions to take a specific drug or engage in a particular activity o Causes impairment and/or distress

 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) o Previously: Substance abuse and dependence o Now: Single disorder, mild to severe  Included: drugs of abuse  New Section: behavioural addiction (gambling)  Tentative: caffeine, internet gaming  Excluded: sex, shopping, eating  Example DSM-V Criteria: Alcohol Use Disorder o Problems controlling intake o Continued use despite problems from drinking o Tolerance o Drinking that leads to risky situations o Withdrawal symptoms o Severity (mild, moderate, severe) is based on the number of criteria met    

Withdrawal Discomfort, distress, cravings after stopping an addictive drug o Caffeine headache, cigarette cravings, alcohol DTs Occurs after dependence has developed How do psychoactive drugs change mood, energy, and perception Changing the supply of neurotransmitters Agonists: increase availability of neurotransmitters by more release or reuptake inhibition

Four Major Categories of Psychoactive Drugs 1. Depressant [Sedative] a. Decreases bodily processes, responsiveness 2. Stimulant a. Increases overall activity, responsiveness 3. Opiate/Opioid [Narcotic] a. Derived from opium b. Numbs the senses and relieves pain 4. Hallucinogen [Psychedelic] a. Produces sensory or perceptual distortions 1. Depressants / Sedatives a. Examples: alcohol, barbiturates, anxiolytics, alprazolam b. Desired Effects: tension reduction, euphoria, disinhibition, drowsiness, muscles relaxation

c. Undesired Effects: anxiety, nausea, disorientation, impaired reflexes and motor functioning, amnesia d. Notes: dependence rapidly acquired, creating strong potential for abuse 2. Stimulants a. Examples: cocaine, amphetamine, MDMA (‘ecstasy’), caffeine, nicotine b. Desired Effects: exhilaration, euphoria, high energy (physical and mental), increased alertness, sociability c. Undesired Effects: irritability, anxiety, sleeplessness, paranoia, hallucinations, psychosis d. Notes: abuse can result in cardiovascular stress, convulsions and/or death 3. Opiates / Opioids a. Examples: morphine, heroin, codeine, oxycodone b. Desired Effects: euphoria, “rush” of pleasure, pain relief, withdrawal, sleep c. Undesired Effects: nausea, vomiting, constipation, painful withdrawal, shallow respirations, convulsions, coma death d. Notes: mimic the brain’s natural endorphins 4. Hallucinogens (Psychedelic) Drugs a. Examples: LSD, mescaline, psilocybin (mushrooms), marijuana (?) b. Desired Effects: heightened aesthetic responses, euphoria, mild delusions, hallucinations, distorted perceptions and sensations, relaxation c. Undesired Effects: panic, nausea, long/more extreme delusions, hallucinations, perceptual distortions (“bad trips”), psychosis, flashbacks d. Notes: much less addictive; less risk of overdose / dangerous because of impaired decision-making Marijuana      

Hallucinogenic Dried leaves/flowers/bud of cannabis sativa plant Ingredients: tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and 70+ more Act at cannabinoid receptors o Diffuse in brain and nervous system Marijuana 25-30% THC o Hashish 20-60% THC 1 in 10 become addicted o 1 in 6 who start using as teens o 25-50% of daily users  Withdrawal syndrome  Irritability, sleeping difficulties, dysphoria, craving and anxiety

 

Possessing, selling marijuana for non-medical purposes is illegal everywhere in Canada Medical marijuana approved for treating several conditions w/o effective interventions o Glaucoma, palliative care, pain, wasting, PTSD, alcohol/opioid withdrawal, GI disorders, MS, epilepsy...