projectlist

Bi/CNS 163. Sleep and Dreams

Winter 2000

Theory paper

Guidelines:

You have to formulate a hypothesis of why we sleep.
No maximum/minimum number of pages.
You can choose to focus and base your discussion on the following topics and questions (or a related topic that you choose). You can try to address, for example, what the evidence is in favor and against the role of sleep in maintaining the levels of certain neurotransmitters.
Electronic submission (latex/word/ascii) to gabrielk@caltech.edu or drop a copy in G.Kreiman's mailbox in Beckman Institute (mailbox 139-74).

List of possible topics for the theory paper

Evolution of sleep
Hypnosis, Lucid dreaming, general anesthesia, coma and sleep
Energy conservation, thermoregulation and sleep
Sleep and ecological factors
Sleep and the immune system
Pharmacology of sleep
Make your own

Evolution of Sleep

Evolution of sleep, from bacteria to man. When did the different features of sleep arise and why ? Evolution of circadian rhythms.
Evolution of sleep in mammals and birds. Comparison. How does sleep vary across species ?
Multidimensional scaling analysis of correlations between different sleep parameters such as length of the different stages, total sleep length, animal life span and life style, etc.
Evolution of REM sleep.

Hypnosis, lucid dreaming, general anesthesia, coma and sleep

What is hypnosis ? Brain activity during hypnosis.What are the similarities and differences between the hypnotic state, lucid dreaming and sleep ?
State of coma. Brain activity during this state. Similarities and differences with hypnosis and sleep.
General anesthesia. Brain activity during general anesthesia. Similarities and differences between genereal anesthesia and sleep.

Energy conservation, thermoregulation and sleep

1. Evidence for and against a role of sleep in energy conservation.

2. Evidence for and against a role of sleep in thermoregulation.

Sleep and ecological factors

1. Did sleep arise just as a means of securing warmth, security, protection, immobility during a period of the day when it is very cold, vision does not work very well, etc. ?

2. Correlation between sleeping patterns and environment across species.

Sleep and the immune system

1. Relationship between sleep and the immune system. Evidence for and against a role of sleep in immune defense and/or immune system restoration.

2. Sleep and pathologies in general. Correlations between amount of sleep (or amount of different stages, etc.) and incidence of pathologies.

Memory and sleep

1. Evidence for and against a role of sleep in memory.

2. Autism and Sleep.Alex Rosefielde's hypothesis. Relationship between REM sleep and autism.

Pharmacology of sleep

Investigation into the effects of certain drugs (e.g. anti-malaria mefloquin), their brain targets, and potential mechanisms.
Sleep onset. REM sleep onset. Which substance(s) are responsible ? What are the targets and mechanisms of action ?
Wakefulness onset. Sleep Stages. Which substance(s) are responsible ? What are the targets and mechanisms of action ?

Make your own

You are more than welcome to invent your own. If you have an idea of a theoretical topic related to Sleep that you would like to work on, send as an email.

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Maintained for Bi/CNS 163 by GK, gabrielk@caltech.edu