Sleepwalking
- Created by: rhallett
- Created on: 09-12-15 18:47
View mindmap
- Sleep Disorders - Sleepwalking
- Sleepwalkers generally do simple behaviours whilst asleep
- Usually begins Stages 3 and 4, an EEG reveals both Delta and Beta waves; showing the person is partly awake; more common in children
- Biological Explanations
- There is evidence that genes play a part in sleepwalking
- Broughton found that the first degree relativesof sleepwalkers had much higher rates of it themselves
- -However, familiy members share the same environment which could also play a role
- Lecedreux did a twin study and found that MZ concordance for sleepwalking was 50% whilst DZ concordance was only 10-15%. As MZs have identical genes while DZ twins only share 50%, if MZs are more similar for a trait this is also evidence that it is partly genetic.
- -However, as MZ concordance is only 50% this also shows that non-genetic factors also play a role
- Gurnett did a linkage study (analysis of DNA compared to a control group to look for abnormality) on a family and found an abnormality on chromosome 20 that was linked to sleepwalking; possibly linked to a chemical called adenosine deminase. 19 out of the 22 family members sleepwalked.
- Environmental Explanations
- There are a range of environmental factors that also play a part in sleepwalking such as stress, alcohol use and sleep deprivation
- The role of the environment was shown in a study Zadra who evaluation 40 sleepwalkers at a Sleep Research Centre and deprived some of them of sleep.
- They found that the RPS showed almost 2x as many SW behaviours if they have been without sleep for 25 than if they slept normally; suggests sleep deprivation can trigger sleepwalking.
- -Doesn't explain causes if sleepwalking just what can trigger it. Experiment was done in a sleep lab, lacking ecological validity and may not tell us about normal sleep
- They found that the RPS showed almost 2x as many SW behaviours if they have been without sleep for 25 than if they slept normally; suggests sleep deprivation can trigger sleepwalking.
Comments
No comments have yet been made