Wakefulness is a daily recurring brain state and state of consciousness in which an individual is conscious and engages in coherent cognitive and behavioral responses to the external world.
Being awake is the opposite of being asleep, in which most external inputs to the brain are excluded from neural processing.[1][2][3][4]
The longer the brain has been awake, the greater the synchronous firing rates of cerebral cortex neurons. After sustained periods of sleep, both the speed and synchronicity of the neurons firing are shown to decrease.[5]
Another effect of wakefulness is the reduction of glycogen held in the astrocytes, which supply energy to the neurons. Studies have shown that one of sleep's underlying functions is to replenish this glycogen energy source.[6]
Wakefulness is produced by a complex interaction between multiple neurotransmitter systems arising in the brainstem and ascending through the midbrain, hypothalamus, thalamus and basal forebrain.[7] The posterior hypothalamus plays a key role in the maintenance of the cortical activation that underlies wakefulness. Several systems originating in this part of the brain control the shift from wakefulness into sleep and sleep into wakefulness. Histamine neurons in the tuberomammillary nucleus and nearby adjacent posterior hypothalamus project to the entire brain and are the most wake-selective system so far identified in the brain.[8] Another key system is that provided by the orexins (also known as hypocretins) projecting neurons. These exist in areas adjacent to histamine neurons and like them project widely to most brain areas and associate with arousal.[9] Orexin deficiency has been identified as responsible for narcolepsy.[10]
Research suggests that orexin and histamine neurons play distinct, but complementary roles in controlling wakefulness with orexin being more involved with wakeful behavior and histamine with cognition and activation of cortical EEG.[11]
It has been suggested the fetus is not awake, with wakefulness occurring in the newborn due to the stress of being born and the associated activation of the locus coeruleus.[12]
^Benington, JH; Heller, HC (1995). "Restoration of brain energy metabolism as the function of sleep". Progress in Neurobiology. 45 (4): 347–60. doi:10.1016/0301-0082(94)00057-O. PMID 7624482. S2CID 39737626.
^Takahashi, K; Lin, JS; Sakai, K (2006). "Neuronal activity of histaminergic tuberomammillary neurons during wake-sleep states in the mouse". Journal of Neuroscience. 26 (40): 10292–8. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2341-06.2006. PMC6674640. PMID 17021184.
^Sakurai, T (2007). "The neural circuit of orexin (hypocretin): maintaining sleep and wakefulness". Nature Reviews. Neuroscience. 8 (3): 171–81. doi:10.1038/nrn2092. PMID 17299454. S2CID 8932862.
^Anaclet, C.; Parmentier, R.; Ouk, K.; Guidon, G.; Buda, C.; Sastre, J.-P.; Akaoka, H.; Sergeeva, O. A.; Yanagisawa, M. (2009). "Orexin/Hypocretin and Histamine: Distinct Roles in the Control of Wakefulness Demonstrated Using Knock-Out Mouse Models". Journal of Neuroscience. 29 (46): 14423–14438. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2604-09.2009. PMC2802289. PMID 19923277.
^Lagercrantz, H (2009). "The birth of consciousness". Early Human Development. 85 (10 Suppl): S57–8. doi:10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2009.08.017. PMID 19762170.
External links
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The dictionary definition of wakefulness at Wiktionary
January 09, 2023
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Awake and Wakeful redirect here For other uses see Awake disambiguation and Wakeful disambiguation Wakefulness is a daily recurring brain state and state of consciousness in which an individual is conscious and engages in coherent cognitive and behavioral responses to the external world Being awake is the opposite of being asleep in which most external inputs to the brain are excluded from neural processing 1 2 3 4 Contents 1 Effects upon the brain 2 Maintenance by the brain 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksEffects upon the brain EditThe longer the brain has been awake the greater the synchronous firing rates of cerebral cortex neurons After sustained periods of sleep both the speed and synchronicity of the neurons firing are shown to decrease 5 Another effect of wakefulness is the reduction of glycogen held in the astrocytes which supply energy to the neurons Studies have shown that one of sleep s underlying functions is to replenish this glycogen energy source 6 Maintenance by the brain EditMain articles Ascending reticular activating system and Arousal Wakefulness is produced by a complex interaction between multiple neurotransmitter systems arising in the brainstem and ascending through the midbrain hypothalamus thalamus and basal forebrain 7 The posterior hypothalamus plays a key role in the maintenance of the cortical activation that underlies wakefulness Several systems originating in this part of the brain control the shift from wakefulness into sleep and sleep into wakefulness Histamine neurons in the tuberomammillary nucleus and nearby adjacent posterior hypothalamus project to the entire brain and are the most wake selective system so far identified in the brain 8 Another key system is that provided by the orexins also known as hypocretins projecting neurons These exist in areas adjacent to histamine neurons and like them project widely to most brain areas and associate with arousal 9 Orexin deficiency has been identified as responsible for narcolepsy 10 Research suggests that orexin and histamine neurons play distinct but complementary roles in controlling wakefulness with orexin being more involved with wakeful behavior and histamine with cognition and activation of cortical EEG 11 It has been suggested the fetus is not awake with wakefulness occurring in the newborn due to the stress of being born and the associated activation of the locus coeruleus 12 See also EditDream argument Eugeroic High conductance state Lucid dream SleepwalkingReferences Edit Sleep dreams and wakefulness univ lyon1 fr Retrieved 15 April 2019 Wakefulness Alertness Sleep and Dreams www csun edu Retrieved 15 April 2019 The Consequences of Excessive Wakefulness Damn Interesting Retrieved 15 April 2019 Martin Richard 1 November 2003 It s Wake Up Time Wired Retrieved 15 April 2019 via www wired com Vyazovskiy VV Olcese U Lazimy YM Faraguna U Esser SK Williams JC Cirelli C Tononi G 2009 Cortical firing and sleep homeostasis Neuron 63 6 865 78 doi 10 1016 j neuron 2009 08 024 PMC 2819325 PMID 19778514 Benington JH Heller HC 1995 Restoration of brain energy metabolism as the function of sleep Progress in Neurobiology 45 4 347 60 doi 10 1016 0301 0082 94 00057 O PMID 7624482 S2CID 39737626 Brown RE Basheer R McKenna JT Strecker RE McCarley RW 2012 Control of Sleep and Wakefulness Physiological Reviews 92 3 1087 1187 doi 10 1152 physrev 00032 2011 PMC 3621793 PMID 22811426 lt Takahashi K Lin JS Sakai K 2006 Neuronal activity of histaminergic tuberomammillary neurons during wake sleep states in the mouse Journal of Neuroscience 26 40 10292 8 doi 10 1523 JNEUROSCI 2341 06 2006 PMC 6674640 PMID 17021184 Sakurai T 2007 The neural circuit of orexin hypocretin maintaining sleep and wakefulness Nature Reviews Neuroscience 8 3 171 81 doi 10 1038 nrn2092 PMID 17299454 S2CID 8932862 Chemelli RM Willie JT Sinton CM Elmquist JK Scammell T Lee C Richardson JA Williams SC Xiong Y 1999 Narcolepsy in orexin knockout mice molecular genetics of sleep regulation Cell 98 4 437 51 doi 10 1016 S0092 8674 00 81973 X PMID 10481909 Anaclet C Parmentier R Ouk K Guidon G Buda C Sastre J P Akaoka H Sergeeva O A Yanagisawa M 2009 Orexin Hypocretin and Histamine Distinct Roles in the Control of Wakefulness Demonstrated Using Knock Out Mouse Models Journal of Neuroscience 29 46 14423 14438 doi 10 1523 JNEUROSCI 2604 09 2009 PMC 2802289 PMID 19923277 Lagercrantz H 2009 The birth of consciousness Early Human Development 85 10 Suppl S57 8 doi 10 1016 j earlhumdev 2009 08 017 PMID 19762170 External links Edit Wikiquote has quotations related to Wakefulness The dictionary definition of wakefulness at Wiktionary Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Wakefulness amp oldid 1127545593, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
