What are slow waves in the gastrointestinal tract?
Because the cells are electrically coupled, these fluctuations in membrane potential spread to adjacent sections of muscle, resulting in what are called “slow waves” – waves of partial depolarization in smooth muscle that sweep along the digestive tube for long distances.
Where do slow waves originate in the GI tract?
Where do slow waves originate? At what frequency do they occur in different regions of the GI tract? Slow waves occur at interstitial cells of Cajal. They are the “pacemaker” for gastrointestinal smooth muscle.
What are slow waves in smooth muscle?
The slow wave in gastric and intestinal smooth muscle is a periodic depolarization that sets up electrical conditions for smooth muscle cells to contract in response to the release of acetylcholine from the myenteric excitatory motor neurons. Accordingly, the smooth muscle cells contract only once during a slow wave.
What is the purpose of slow wave potential?
Definition. Slow wave potentials are undulating changes in the resting membrane potential in gastrointestinal smooth muscle responsible for triggering an action potential. They do not cause smooth muscle contraction until they reach a threshold potential to trigger an action potential.
What happens when slow wave action potentials reach threshold?
What occurs when a slow wave potential does reach threshold? voltage gated Ca channels in the muscle fiber open, Ca enters and the cell fires one or more action potentials.
How can I increase my slow-wave sleep?
Factors that have shown to increase slow-wave sleep in the sleep period that follows them include intense prolonged exercise and body heating, such as immersion in a sauna or hot tub. Studies have shown that slow-wave sleep is facilitated when brain temperature exceeds a certain threshold.
How do you know if someone is in slow-wave sleep?
The principal characteristics during slow-wave sleep that contrast with REM sleep are moderate muscle tone, slow or absent eye movement, and lack of genital activity. Slow-wave sleep is considered important for memory consolidation. This is sometimes referred to as “sleep-dependent memory processing”.
Are Slow waves peristalsis?
Electrical potentials recorded during peristalsis (peristaltic waves) also propagated as broad wave fronts in either directions. Peristaltic waves often spontaneously stopped conducting (46%), in contrast to slow waves that never did.
What drugs increase slow-wave sleep?
Other drugs have no direct GABAergic effects yet also increase SWS. Examples include α2-δ calcium channel ligands (e.g., gabapentin and pregabalin), serotonin (5HT)2A receptor antagonists (e.g., eplivanserin and ritanserin), and drugs that are active at multiple receptors (e.g., mirtazapine, trazodone, and olanzapine).
What medicine increases deep sleep?
Benzodiazepines, the class of tranquilizer drugs that includes Valium (diazepam), may also reduce deep sleep. Opioid medications can have the same effect. Some medications may increase deep sleep….These non-benzodiazepine sleep aids include:
- Ambien, Zolpimist, Edluar (zolpidem)
- Lunesta (eszopiclone)
- Sonata (zaleplon)
What medications increase slow-wave sleep?
Examples include α2-δ calcium channel ligands (e.g., gabapentin and pregabalin), serotonin (5HT)2A receptor antagonists (e.g., eplivanserin and ritanserin), and drugs that are active at multiple receptors (e.g., mirtazapine, trazodone, and olanzapine).