Sleep and Wakefulness MCQ Quiz | Neurophysiology

1. Which EEG wave pattern is predominantly seen in a normal adult who is awake, alert, and has their eyes open?

2. Stage N3 of NREM sleep, also known as slow-wave sleep, is defined by the presence of which type of EEG waves for at least 20% of the epoch?

3. Which of the following is a key characteristic of REM sleep?

4. The locus coeruleus is a critical component of the Reticular Activating System (RAS) and promotes wakefulness by releasing which neurotransmitter throughout the brain?

5. Narcolepsy with cataplexy is strongly associated with the loss of neurons that produce which neuropeptide?

6. The master biological clock that regulates circadian rhythms is located in which hypothalamic nucleus?

7. The pineal gland synthesizes and secretes which hormone, primarily in response to darkness, to regulate the sleep-wake cycle?

8. K-complexes and sleep spindles are characteristic EEG features of which stage of sleep?

9. Which of the following is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system responsible for promoting sleep?

10. The pathophysiology of obstructive sleep apnea involves which primary mechanism?

11. Ponto-geniculo-occipital (PGO) waves are distinctive electrical potentials observed just before and during which stage of sleep?

12. A lesion in the ventrolateral preoptic (VLPO) area of the hypothalamus would most likely result in which condition?

13. The raphe nuclei contribute to the sleep-wake cycle by releasing serotonin. What is the general effect of serotonin on sleep?

14. How do the levels of acetylcholine in the brain during REM sleep compare to the levels during wakefulness and NREM sleep?

15. The collection of nuclei in the brainstem responsible for maintaining consciousness and arousal from sleep is known as the:

16. Following a period of sleep deprivation, the body prioritizes recovery of which stage of sleep, often referred to as paying off “sleep debt”?

17. A person experiencing vivid, narrative-based dreams is most likely in which stage of sleep?

18. Antihistamine medications often cause drowsiness as a side effect because histamine, released from the tuberomammillary nucleus (TMN), primarily promotes:

19. Somnambulism (sleepwalking) and night terrors are parasomnias that typically occur during arousals from which stage of sleep?

20. The “flip-flop” switch model of sleep-wake regulation proposes mutual inhibition between the sleep-promoting VLPO and which other brain regions?

21. During NREM sleep, thalamocortical neurons are typically in a bursting or oscillatory firing mode. In which two states do they switch to a tonic, single-spike firing mode, allowing for information transfer to the cortex?

22. What is cataplexy, a pathognomonic symptom of narcolepsy type 1?

23. The ventrolateral preoptic nucleus (VLPO) is a key sleep-promoting center. It achieves this by releasing which inhibitory neurotransmitters?

24. Parasomnias are undesirable events that occur during sleep. Which of the following is considered a disorder of excessive sleepiness (hypersomnia), not a parasomnia?

25. The low-amplitude, high-frequency EEG pattern of REM sleep most closely resembles the EEG of which other state?