Posted on 07/13/2022 7:20:07 AM PDT by ConservativeMind
A new discovery may provide a key to a great scientific enigma: How does the awake brain transform sensory input into a conscious experience? The study relied on data collected from electrodes implanted, for medical purposes, deep in the human brain. The information was utilized to examine differences between the response of the cerebral cortex to sounds in sleep vs. wakefulness, at a resolution of single neurons.
The researchers were surprised to discover that the brain's response to sound remains powerful during sleep in all parameters but one: the level of alpha-beta waves associated with attention to the auditory input and related expectations. This means that during sleep, the brain analyzes the auditory input but is unable to focus on the sound or identify it, and therefore no conscious awareness ensues.
… Dr. Haya says that "…But looking at the data from the electrodes, we were surprised to discover that the brain's response during sleep was much stronger and richer than we had expected. Moreover, this powerful response spread to many regions of the cerebral cortex. The strength of brain response during sleep was similar to the response observed during wakefulness, in all but one specific feature, where a dramatic difference was recorded: the level of activity of alpha-beta waves."
The researchers explain that alpha-beta waves (10-30Hz) are linked to processes of attention and expectation that are controlled by feedback from higher regions in the brain. …Thus, for example, when a certain sound is received in the ear, the higher regions can tell whether it is new or familiar, and whether it deserves attention or not. According to the current study, the strength of alpha-beta waves is the main difference between the brain's response to auditory inputs in states of wakefulness vs. sleep.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
This is so that hyenas don’t sneak up and eat us while we are asleep............
We are fearfully and wonderfully made.
This is so that hyenas don’t sneak up and eat us while we are asleep............
~~~
That’s right, actually.
I didn’t need a scientific study to tell me this.
I’ve gotten used to ambient sounds and I don’t need dead silence to sleep. TV, radio, dog barking in the distance, animals moving around the house, cars on the road, even people talking (as long as it’s not loud), and usually even cell phone ringers, I can sleep through. But certain sounds will wake me up, and they don’t all have to be loud, like a door being opened or closed, or an unusual animal sound. Your brain is constantly filtering sounds and identifying them as normal or specific. This doesn’t just happen when you sleep. It happens all day long. Otherwise you’d be distracted constantly. Even house pets filter out the sound from your television set. They know the properties of that sound have no relevance to them, no matter what is being played. Your ears (or auditory functions) don’t shut down. They never do, unless you are fully unconscious, but then again that’s an obvious exception, because if you are fully unconscious, a lot of other cognitive functions are shut down that normally wouldn’t.
It’s not just humans. Just about any animal would need to be able to discern sounds while they sleep, as a matter of survival. Hyena’s included.
so if you had a device that immitated the alpha beta wave—what would your response be. go to sleep or become hyper aware of everything around you?
Part of my childhood we lived about 50 yards from a railroad track.
I could sleep thru the sound of a train all night long.................
When I was a child, I had on several occasions a dream in which I seemed to predict the future, jumping at a sound before I heard the sound, which then woke me up.
I believe this is because the sound was real (a door slamming somewhere in the house, or a clap of thunder outside) and it made me jump or twitch instantly in my sleep. The part of my brain that processed the sound into the sensation of sound was asleep, and therefore reacted much slower than my reflexes.
This has never happened to me as an adult, it only happened when I was quite young, a pre-teen.
Well, I think that is wrong but sure hope that if I ever go in for general anesthesia they can tell I am actually under properly.
I can hear sounds in my sleep, usually identify them and also where they come from. Either that or I just wake up and quickly identify the sounds. It is from decades of rig calls in the night and going from dead sleep, to hearing the phone, to trying to figure out which rig has a problem and a possible solution. The guy on the other end of the line is usually excited and I have to tell them to slow down just a little until my head clears a little more. In my 42 working years I was pretty much amped up 24/7. After 6 years of retirement I’m starting to relax a bit and slow down. I hope it is not that slowing down that kills me but something surely will.
When I was on the rigs I would wake up instantly when sound went away. There is always noise from an engine or something and when it stops you know something is wrong. It is strange though because when you finally do get to sleep it is the sleep of a dead man. If I had the chance I’d come home and sleep for 18 to 24 hours straight, just shut down.
When I had my angiogram years ago I didn’t feel a thing but heard every word spoken, even saw the monitors. The nurses said I told good oilfield stories though. Guess that was all just the type of sedative they used. I’ve never been under general anesthesia and don’t want to be of course.
I had some major auditory inputs at 2 am today. Our bedroom windows were open and a HUGE thunderstorm rolled through. The only way to sleep through that would be a coma or dead.
I had a couple of dogs asleep on the couch, years ago. I got a hotdog out of the ‘fridge, broke it in half, and placed the pieces by their noses. After a couple of minutes, I whispered “walkies” and they exploded off the couch and ran to the door.
The brain is always listening.
“Part of my childhood we lived about 50 yards from a railroad track. I could sleep thru the sound of a train all night long.................”
Same for me. The interesting part is that the silence following the end of the train sometimes woke me up.
And the rest of us sleep with an AC or air fan on to block out such sounds...
It is interesting how our brains tune into sounds that we should pay attention to when we are asleep.
Anyone who has raised babies will know what I mean.
And after the babies are grown sleep becomes uninterrupted, until a new a sound becomes worthy of attention.
In my Father’s late years he was close to invalid. I was tuned into his noises while I slept just like I was when my kids were babies.
Brain research is a snickering joke. Blind probings revealing bits and pieces of a piece of 60 million year old electrical fat that can produce a 5th Symphony or a Sistine Chapel ceiling or an angelic miracle intercession. The real mystery is how we massively fail to self-program and seem content to let others do our thinking for us.
I had a bad night last night because of ambient noises...we are in a trailer because of remodel. It was windy so I kept hearing different noises...awning, trees, traffic ...and brain kept trying to figure what was what. Not fun.
Good research if related to general aneathesia for surgeries.
I’d like a good way for doctors to be sure someone is not conscious of what is happening during their procedures.
Doesn’t matter what you think
There are other tests they use to test you when under going anesthesia
I’ll waste my time here and say the same goes for you as you are a well known irritation to all on this board for your insolence and general rude behavior. You remain true to form and continue to disappoint.
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