Sleep Physiology and Neuroanatomy Flashcards
6 cards from real BRPT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Sleep Physiology and Neuroanatomy flashcards as text
The glymphatic system, active primarily during sleep, functions to:
Answer: Clear adenosine and metabolic waste from brain tissue
The glymphatic system uses cerebrospinal fluid flow to flush adenosine and neurotoxic waste products from the brain, operating most efficiently during slow-wave sleep.
Which term describes the recurring 90–110 minute NREM-REM cycling pattern that repeats throughout the night?
Answer: Ultradian rhythm
The ultradian rhythm is the within-night cycling of NREM and REM sleep that repeats every 90–110 minutes across 4–6 cycles.
During REM sleep, thermoregulation is suppressed and humans temporarily become:
Answer: Poikilothermic (unable to thermoregulate)
REM sleep suppresses hypothalamic thermoregulatory drive, making humans transiently poikilothermic and dependent on ambient temperature.
The circadian nadir of core body temperature and peak sleepiness in a normal sleeper typically occurs at approximately:
Answer: 2 AM – 4 AM
The circadian trough of alertness and core body temperature falls between approximately 2–4 AM in individuals maintaining a conventional sleep schedule.
The ventrolateral preoptic area (VLPO) promotes sleep onset by:
Answer: Releasing GABA and galanin to inhibit wake-promoting nuclei
The VLPO releases GABA and galanin to inhibit histaminergic, noradrenergic, and serotonergic wake-promoting regions, acting as a sleep-promoting 'flip-flop switch.'
Normal REM latency (time from sleep onset to first REM period) in healthy adults is approximately:
Answer: 70–100 minutes
Healthy adults typically enter their first REM period 70–100 minutes after sleep onset; REM latency below 20 minutes is a key diagnostic marker for narcolepsy.