An electroencephalograph (EEG) is recording Alyssa's brain activity. She has just entered Stage 1 sleep when there is a sudden, loud crash in the sleep lab. It is likely that
A) the EEG will temporarily show a flat line before returning to theta waves.
B) the crash will wake Alyssa from her relatively light sleep.
C) there will be a sleep spindle recorded on the EEG at the time of the crash.
D) the noise of the crash will be incorporated into the dream Alyssa is currently experiencing.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A sudden, loud crash in the sleep lab is likely to wake Alyssa from her relatively light sleep. This may cause her to enter a more alert state, such as Stage 2 or even wakefulness. The EEG will likely show a shift from theta waves, indicating Stage 1 sleep, to higher frequency waves associated with wakefulness or later stages of sleep. However, a flat line on the EEG is not necessarily expected, as this would indicate a lack of brain activity altogether. A sleep spindle is also unlikely to be recorded at the time of the crash, as sleep spindles typically occur during Stage 2 sleep. The noise of the crash may wake Alyssa up before it has a chance to be incorporated into her dream.

An Electroencephalograph (EEG) Is Recording Alyssa's Brain Activity