PYB102 Study Guide - Final Guide: Memory Consolidation, Narcolepsy, Hypothalamus
4 Jul 2013
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Document Summary
Electroencephalography (eeg) is used to measure brainwaves while we sleep. It uses electrodes placed upon the scalp to detect and measure patterns of electrical activity emanating from the brain. An eeg electrode amplifies the electrical potentials occurring in many thousands of brain cells. During nrem sleep is when hypnic myoclonia can often occur. This is the familiar jerking awake" sensation which occurs when we feel as though we are falling when asleep. There is no confirmed reason for this, however one theory suggests it is the body"s response to the change and interprets this as dangerous, as though we were dying. The brainwaves during rem sleep are very similar to the waves that occur when we are awake. Because of this, rem sleep has been nicknamed paradoxical sleep". It is also interesting to note that there is virtually no muscle activity during rem sleep, which explains why hypnic myoclonia cannot occur here.
