Wakefulness
Wakefulness - Related Videos
01:24
Sleep-Wake Cycles
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2024
Sleep is an essential physiological process vital to maintaining overall well-being. The reticular activating system (RAS), a network of neurons in the brainstem, regulates wakefulness and sleep. While it may seem passive, sleep consists of distinct cycles, each with its unique characteristics and functions. Two key sleep phases are non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM). NREM Sleep NREM sleep comprises four progressive stages that seamlessly merge: Stage 1 is the...
05:54
Optogenetic Manipulation of Neural Circuits for the Sleep-to-Wakefulness Transition in Mice
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2025
Source: Kodani, S., et.al. Optogenetic Manipulation of Neural Circuits During Monitoring Sleep/wakefulness States in Mice. J. Vis. Exp. (2019)This video demonstrates the optogenetic manipulation of neural circuits involved in the sleep-to-wakefulness transition in mice. The procedure involves surgically implanting an optic fiber and electrodes into the brain and muscles to enable light stimulation and electrophysiological recording. By delivering light to activate light-sensitive cation...
08:08
Eye Tracking, Cortisol, and a Sleep vs. Wake Consolidation Delay: Combining Methods to Uncover an Interactive Effect of Sleep and Cortisol on Memory
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Cited by 8 •
2014
We present a protocol used to discover an interactive effect between sleep and cortisol on memory consolidation, particularly for negative arousing images. Specifically, the experimental design utilizes eye tracking, salivary cortisol analysis, and behavioral memory testing – methods that can be used with both healthy and clinical participants.
08:58
Optogenetic Manipulation of Neural Circuits During Monitoring Sleep/wakefulness States in Mice
0 Views •
Cited by 6 •
2019
Here, we describe methods of optogenetic manipulation of particular types of neurons during monitoring of sleep/wakefulness states in mice, presenting our recent work on the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis as an example.
10:33
Generation of Alginate Microspheres for Biomedical Applications
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Cited by 33 •
2012
In the following sections, we outline procedures for the preparation of alginate microspheres for use in biomedical applications. We specifically illustrate a technique for creating multilayered alginate microspheres for the dual purpose of cell and protein encapsulation as a potential treatment for type 1 diabetes.
FAQs
Wakefulness depends on coordinated activity in brain arousal systems, especially the ascending reticular activating system. This network supports the level of activation needed for responsiveness, while circadian timing and accumulated sleep pressure regulate when that activation is easier or harder to sustain. In psychology, this helps connect alertness with attention and behavior.
Circadian rhythms provide a time-based pattern that influences when alertness is naturally promoted or reduced. Homeostatic sleep pressure reflects the buildup of a need for sleep over time. Together, these processes explain why wakefulness can vary across the day and why sustained alertness may become more difficult as sleep pressure increases.
Stress, medications, and environmental conditions can influence wakefulness and mental functioning. Their effects may appear as changes in alertness, attention, or cognitive performance. Examining these influences allows psychologists to study why the same person may respond differently across situations and helps identify conditions associated with reduced or enhanced daily functioning.
Researchers assess wakefulness through complementary behavioral, subjective, and physiological measures. Behavioral responsiveness indicates how readily a person reacts to internal or external stimuli, while self-reported alertness captures the person’s experienced state. Physiological measures, including brain activity, add information about underlying arousal and allow researchers to compare reported alertness with observable responses.
Wakefulness is useful when researchers need to determine whether a participant has the general alertness required for attention, learning, or daily behavior. Assessment can clarify whether poor cognitive performance reflects reduced alertness or another influence. This makes the concept relevant in studies of stress, medication effects, environmental conditions, and sleep-wake disorders.
Measuring wakefulness helps researchers examine disruptions in alertness alongside behavioral responsiveness, self-reported state, and brain activity. These observations can reveal how sleep-wake disorders affect mental functioning rather than treating sleep and waking as separate from cognition. The findings support psychological analysis of changes in attention, learning, and everyday behavior.