Slaap (Sleep)

Description

Sound sleep is important for day-time functioning. Nonetheless, over the last 50 years average sleep time has decreased by an hour in western societies. Chronic sleep deficits, with deterioration of cognitive and emotional functioning, form a serious problem for about 15% of the adult population. Moreover, sleep problems are associated to important health issues, constituting a risk factor for many disorders, including cerebrovascular disorders, diabetes and (affective) psychopathologies. This course provides an overview of the neural regulation of sleep and the sleep-wake rhythm. We will consider basic sleep physiology, but also dreams and the (re)processing of information during sleep. The function of these processes in relation to cognition and emotional regulation will be explained. Finally, sleep disorders will be treated, as well as the relation between sleep disorders and psychopathology. Objectives: The student is able to describe in his/her own words the neurophysiological regulation of sleep and sleep/wake rhythms; describe in his/her own words the neurophysiological mechanism underlying sleep-specific population dynamics, including slow waves and sleep spindles; distinguish the different sleep stages based on electrophysiological characteristics. explain the relation between sleep and cognition, including underlying (neuro)physiological mechanisms explain the relation between sleep, emotional regulation and affective psychopathology (evaluating); diagnose different sleep pathologies based on a case description and polysomnography (analyzing); critically evaluate research methods and circumstances in the field of sleep and cognition (evaluating) and use this knowledge in the development of new research questions and approaches (scientific thinking).