PS101 Lecture 4: lecture 4.docx
Document Summary
Seasonal affective disorder (sad) is not a form of desynchronization. In rem, there"s a loss of muscle tone. Periodic, more or less, regular fluctuation in biological system. Rhythms can be synchronized w/ external (entrainment) or internal cues (endogenous) Biological rhythms influence effectiveness of medication, alertness, job performance. Occur approx. every 24 hours (e. g. , sleep-wake cycle) Removed from cues about 10% of people have clocks running lower and 10% running faster. Increase in accidents at transition to daylight savings time. Controlled by biological clock in suprachiasmatic nucleus (scn) Regulates levels of melatonin secreted by pineal gland. State where biological rhythms aren"t in phase (synchronized) w/ one another. Changes in your normal routines can cause desynchronization. May also occur in response to jet lag, rotating shift work, daylight savings time. Disorder where person experiences depression during winter and improvement of mood in spring. Treatments may involve phototherapy or exposure to fluorescent light.