One of the most mysterious things in the life of a human being since time immemorial is sleep. What controls it, and how do we wake up? What keeps our body functions running even when we are in the deepest form of sleep? There is no doubt that the questions are endless. The good news is that most of these questions have been answered through research. The reticular activating system (RAS) is now believed to be a significant component of the sleep wake cycle.
Most of the knowledge we have today regarding the RAS was discovered in 1949 by curious researchers. It has been shown that this system is built around two vital structures in the brains of mammals, the thalamus and the brain stem. There are a number of nuclei located in both the thalamus and the brain stem. Reticular fibres connect these nuclei forming a reticular pattern hence the name. Injury to this area causes somnolence and lethargy.
Connections within the RAS communicate by way of various chemicals. These chemicals are known as neurotransmitters and two main categories exist; cholinergic and adrenergic. It is common for these two types of chemicals to work in synergy or competition depending on the desired physiological response. The main cholinergic neurotransmitter is glutamate and the main adrenergic one is adrenaline.
Facilitating the sleep wake transition is thought to be the main role of RAS. The degree of activation is determined by the depth of sleep from which one has to wake up from; the deeper the sleep the greater the degree of activation and vice versa. Another important role is that of mediating increased levels of attention whenever such a need arises.
The RAS is central to survival. It helps in providing information that is needed immediately particularly in stressful situations. It is an entry portal for a great amount of information. At any given point in time, there are many things happening in our environment. This includes almost all forms of stimuli such as sight, touch, auditory and taste. Filtering is done and your brain will only respond to what is most important at the time.
There are a number of factors that have been found to affect the system negatively. Preterm deliveries are one of the factors that may compromise the RAS functioning. A good number of children born preterm shows signs of disturbed sleep wake cycle. This problem may persist into adulthood. Smoking during pregnancy is another factor that notoriously affects the cycle. The children will often suffer excessive arousal.
A number of diseases that affect the central nervous system are said to bear some relationship to a disorder of RAS. These are mainly the result of a slowing down of RAS activity which may happen with advancing age. Consequently there is a higher incidence of these diseases in the elderly compared to the general population. Examples include narcolepsy, posttraumatic stress disorder, attention deficit disorder and schizophrenia.
As a leader, one needs to always be in control of their RAS. This can be achieved by undergoing regular thought training. Taking care of personal issues in timely issues helps free up your mind. It is also very important that you have properly planned short term and long term goals.
Most of the knowledge we have today regarding the RAS was discovered in 1949 by curious researchers. It has been shown that this system is built around two vital structures in the brains of mammals, the thalamus and the brain stem. There are a number of nuclei located in both the thalamus and the brain stem. Reticular fibres connect these nuclei forming a reticular pattern hence the name. Injury to this area causes somnolence and lethargy.
Connections within the RAS communicate by way of various chemicals. These chemicals are known as neurotransmitters and two main categories exist; cholinergic and adrenergic. It is common for these two types of chemicals to work in synergy or competition depending on the desired physiological response. The main cholinergic neurotransmitter is glutamate and the main adrenergic one is adrenaline.
Facilitating the sleep wake transition is thought to be the main role of RAS. The degree of activation is determined by the depth of sleep from which one has to wake up from; the deeper the sleep the greater the degree of activation and vice versa. Another important role is that of mediating increased levels of attention whenever such a need arises.
The RAS is central to survival. It helps in providing information that is needed immediately particularly in stressful situations. It is an entry portal for a great amount of information. At any given point in time, there are many things happening in our environment. This includes almost all forms of stimuli such as sight, touch, auditory and taste. Filtering is done and your brain will only respond to what is most important at the time.
There are a number of factors that have been found to affect the system negatively. Preterm deliveries are one of the factors that may compromise the RAS functioning. A good number of children born preterm shows signs of disturbed sleep wake cycle. This problem may persist into adulthood. Smoking during pregnancy is another factor that notoriously affects the cycle. The children will often suffer excessive arousal.
A number of diseases that affect the central nervous system are said to bear some relationship to a disorder of RAS. These are mainly the result of a slowing down of RAS activity which may happen with advancing age. Consequently there is a higher incidence of these diseases in the elderly compared to the general population. Examples include narcolepsy, posttraumatic stress disorder, attention deficit disorder and schizophrenia.
As a leader, one needs to always be in control of their RAS. This can be achieved by undergoing regular thought training. Taking care of personal issues in timely issues helps free up your mind. It is also very important that you have properly planned short term and long term goals.
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