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Fundamentals of Nursing

Key Terms

Fundamentals of NursingKey Terms
alpha wave
a fast wave as seen on an EEG, associated with the first part of falling asleep
anxiolytic
a type of drug that reduces anxiety
beta amyloid
a peptide implicated in development of Alzheimer disease
biphasic sleep pattern
a sleep pattern with two sleep sessions per day
cataplexy
muscle weakness
circadian rhythm
the biological rhythm associated with metabolism, temperature, sleep, and wakefulness
delta wave
EEG brain wave that is slower with higher amplitude
dyslipidemia
abnormal blood lipids
electroencephalogram (EEG)
a linear tracing of the electricity of brain waves
enuresis
urination during sleep
glymphatic system
a body system involved in the regulation of interstitial fluid movement and subsequent removal of waste from the brain and CSF
hyperlipidemia
elevated blood lipids
hypersomnolence
excessive feelings of fatigue and sleepiness, or episodes of sleep during normal times to be awake
hypnogram
a graph representing a person’s sleep architecture
K-complex
EEG delta wave lasting approximately one second each
mechanism of action (MoA)
how a particular drug works
monophasic sleep pattern
a sleep pattern involving one major block of time allocated for sleep
narcolepsy
a sleep disorder involving episodes of daytime sleep
non-rapid eye movement (NREM)
the three stages of sleep not characterized by eye movement
parasomnia
an abnormal behavior while a person is asleep
polyphasic sleep pattern
a sleep pattern including several sleep sessions in a twenty-four-hour period
polysomnography
a sleep study incorporating different physiologic monitors
rapid eye movement (REM)
the sleep stage characterized by the speed of eye movements and vivid, unbelievable dreams
reticular activating system (RAS)
a crucial neural network in the brainstem responsible for regulating arousal, attention, and consciousness
seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
a form of depression related to lack of light
sleep architecture
an individual’s sleep patterns
sleep hygiene
sleep habits
sleep inertia
slowed thought processing related to lack of sleep
sleep log
a written collection of sleep-related information, including hours slept daily
sleep spindle
a short, intermittent burst of neurological activity, seen on an EEG
slow-wave sleep (SWS)
a sleep stage typified by the slower delta waves seen on an EEG
somnambulism
sleepwalking
tau
a protein associated with the development of Alzheimer disease
theta wave
an EEG wave that is fast and has variable frequencies
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