OS 202

24 January 2010
Learning Objectives:

At the end of the session, the student should be able to:

Basic Mental Control

• define alertness, attention and mental tone.
• discuss the neuroanatomical network for attention/intention.
• discuss the two systems for the arousal aspect of basic mental control:
tonic and phasic.
• discuss the three major functional systems for attention.
• define drive and discuss the consequences of its impairment.
• identify the hierarchical stages of impairment of attention/intention.

Sleep and the Consciousness System

• define consciousness.
• identify the anatomical structures of the consciousness system.
• discuss the physiologic basis of consciousness.
• define sleep.
• discuss the electroencephalogram (EEG) as a means of recording
cortical activity.
• characterize the different EEG waveforms during wakefulness and sleep.
• describe the distribution of sleep stages in a typical night of sleep in a
young adult and compare with those in children and older adults.
• differentiate between rapid eye movement (REM) and nonrapid eye
movement (non-REM) sleep.
• enumerate the 4 stages of non-REM sleep and identify the characteristics
and EEG patterns for each.
• describe the characteristics and EEG pattern of REM sleep.
• discuss the physiologic basis for the genesis of REM and non-REM sleep.
• discuss the functions of sleep.
• explain the role of the suprachiasmatic nucleus as an internal clock in
the circadian cycle of sleep and wakefulness.