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.
Scientists first encountered the RAS in 1949 and what we know today has its basis on this breakthrough discovery. It was established that the system is made up of multiple nuclei located in the brain stem and the thalamus. The name comes about because of the presence of numerous fibres that interconnect these fibres forming a reticular pattern. If the fibres are damaged for one reason or another, there will be disorders in sleep.
A number of chemicals modulate the connections that exist in the system. They are termed neurotransmitters and are broadly classified into cholinergic and adrenergic. Based on the intended physiological response, these chemicals may work synergistically or competitively. A chemical called glutamate is the main cholinergic type that is involved in this process while adrenaline is the main adrenergic type. In general, an increase in the level of neurotransmitters causes increased alertness.
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.
RAS plays a key role in survival. When we are faced with large tons of sensory information, there is a need filter these information into the relevant and irrelevant. This information comes in varying sensory modalities including visual, auditory, tactile or gustatory. The brain is instructed to respond to only the important stimuli immediately and the irrelevant later.
A number of factors have been shown to hinder the development of this system. Preterm birth is a risk factor to a compromised RAS. A significant number of children born before their time have problems remaining alert and awake for a long period in their development. Smoking during pregnancy has also been shown to be a risk factor and is said to abnormally increase 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.
Good leaders need to take care of their RAS. To achieve this, there is a need to have thought training regularly. One way in which this ca be achieved is to ensure that you take care of your personal issues promptly. This ensures that you are not constantly distracted. Setting of goals is also important.
Scientists first encountered the RAS in 1949 and what we know today has its basis on this breakthrough discovery. It was established that the system is made up of multiple nuclei located in the brain stem and the thalamus. The name comes about because of the presence of numerous fibres that interconnect these fibres forming a reticular pattern. If the fibres are damaged for one reason or another, there will be disorders in sleep.
A number of chemicals modulate the connections that exist in the system. They are termed neurotransmitters and are broadly classified into cholinergic and adrenergic. Based on the intended physiological response, these chemicals may work synergistically or competitively. A chemical called glutamate is the main cholinergic type that is involved in this process while adrenaline is the main adrenergic type. In general, an increase in the level of neurotransmitters causes increased alertness.
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.
RAS plays a key role in survival. When we are faced with large tons of sensory information, there is a need filter these information into the relevant and irrelevant. This information comes in varying sensory modalities including visual, auditory, tactile or gustatory. The brain is instructed to respond to only the important stimuli immediately and the irrelevant later.
A number of factors have been shown to hinder the development of this system. Preterm birth is a risk factor to a compromised RAS. A significant number of children born before their time have problems remaining alert and awake for a long period in their development. Smoking during pregnancy has also been shown to be a risk factor and is said to abnormally increase 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.
Good leaders need to take care of their RAS. To achieve this, there is a need to have thought training regularly. One way in which this ca be achieved is to ensure that you take care of your personal issues promptly. This ensures that you are not constantly distracted. Setting of goals is also important.
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