Christian V.

Arcega

Soc Sci

1-C

Brain is much more active at night

than during the day.
Logically, you would think that all the moving around, complicated
calculations and tasks and general interaction we do on a daily basis during our
working hours would take a lot more brain power than, say, lying in bed. Turns
out, the opposite is true. When you turn off your brain turns on. Scientists dont
yet know why this is but you can thank the hard work of your brain while you
sleep for all those pleasant dreams.
How the Brain Functions During Sleep
Research shows that the human brain is definitely impacted by sleep. While we
are asleep, our brains are still busy at work. It is amazing how the brain is still
completing tasks even while we are asleep. There is a neuronal system that
controls the periods of sleep and wake and this system is located in the
isodendritic core. It stretches from the medulla, throughout the brainstem and
hypothalamus and finally reaching up into the basal forebrain. This core contains
different neurons, which are important for wake and sleep. Both the sleep-active
and wake-active neurons are intertwined.
Slow wave sleep has high EEG rhythms, which activates a large amount
of neurons. These EEG waves are inactive during the wake and REM stages.
The GABA sensitive neurons are found in the thalamic nucleus and are believed
to be associated with slow wave sleep. Slow wave sleep is known for having a
decrease in cellular firing in most areas of the brain, compared to waking levels.
Slow wave sleep causes a reduction in activity in the thalamocortical system,
with an increased amount of activity in the certain areas of the limbic system.
The sleep cycle is regulated by two pathways consisting of effector
neurons. These neurons are designed to suppress or promote muscle atonia,
rapid eye movements or EEG desynchronization found in REM sleep. Certain
mechanisms found in the forebrain, may enhance REM sleep. According to Izac,
research has shown that monoaminergic neurons (containing norepinephrine and
serotonin) may actually suppress REM sleep. In addition, research suggests that
cholinergic neurons (containing acetylcholine) may possibly promote REM sleep.

Christian V. Arcega

Soc Sci

1-C
The brain is much more active at night than during the day
According to Izac, most brain areas display increased activity during sleep, when
compared to slow-wave-sleep. REM sleep is very similar when compared to
waking sleep. However, the limbic system is not active during REM sleep. During
REM sleep, more individual neurons are fired throughout the brains motor
systems. There is an increased amount of activity occurring in the cerebellum,
cortex, and the pyramidal tract. Nevertheless, a majority of the motor neurons are
inhibited during REM.

An Article About Why Brains Learn

Better At Night
courtesy of University of Adelaide

If you think that the idea of a morning person or an evening person is nonsense,
then postgraduate student Martin Sale and his colleagues from the University of
Adelaide have news for you.
They have found that the time of day influences your brains ability to learnand
the human brain learns more effectively in the evening.
And by identifying at what point in the day the brain is best able to operate,
rehabilitation therapy can be targeted to that time, when recovery is maximised.
Our research has several future applications, Mr Sale says. If the brains of
stroke patients can be artificially stimulated to improve learning, they may be able
to recover better and faster.
The researchers used a magnetic coil over the head to stimulate nerve activity in
the brain, and linked it to an electrical stimulus of the hand.

Christian V. Arcega

Soc Sci

1-C
Mr Sale, from the School of Molecular and Biomedical Science at the University
of Adelaide, discovered that the brains capacity to control hand movements is
influenced by the time of day.
His study found that larger changes are induced when the experiments are
performed in the evening, as compared with mornings.
Such time-of-day variations in function are not unusual. Organisms are adapted
to the continual change in light and dark during a 24 hour period to avoid
predators and to reproduce faster, he says.
For example, the petals of many flowers only open during the day, while some
organisms only reproduce at night. In humans, these rhythms are governed by a
variety of hormones that control many bodily functions.
Martin Sale is one of 16 young scientists presenting their research to the public
for the first time thanks to Fresh Science, a national program sponsored by the
Federal and Victorian Governments which identifies new and interesting research
being done by early-career scientists around the country.