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Present for an instant, that you have suddenly ceased to sleep - to carry out in a unconsciousness of kind 6-9 hours per day. In the same day, some feature films are possible to look one more working day or to read the small book. Try to imagine the world in which nobody sleeps which society is active 24 hours on end. Probably, one it is with other things being equal capable to change essentially @ image of our life. And scientists already now on a way winning dream.
The nearest two years company IBM plans to frame two supercomputers - ASCI Purple and Blue Gene/L which will have capacity up to 100 and 360 billion operations a second accordingly, that as some scientists believe, those is equated or even above a human brain. From the moment of a birth of the first clone person of us, probably, any tens days separate. However the riddle of dream and remains unsolved. Now the reserving of this original form of vital activity in which we carry out a kind third of own life is finally not clear for us even.
By definition, dream is a physiological condition of a brain and an organism as a whole, described by appreciable calmness, almost complete absence of reactions to external handicapes and simultaneously special the organization of activity of neurones of a brain. Long researches have shown, that dream in overwhelming majority of cases is characteristic for warm-blooded animals, including the person. Among other animals it meets unless, probably, at some highly organized reptiles. Physiological, biochemical, bioelectric and other parameters of an organism are in detail described during the given condition, frames of a brain, probably are localized, connected to dream and even attempts to write down a dreaming of experimental animals are carried out by registration of electric activity of a visual bark. Phases of dream and their feature are allocated and described and other interesting and substantial researches still more many. However till now and it is not formulated the unequivocal version concerning function of dream and its vital necessity for normal vital activity. And it is cardinally important, if we wish to have an opportunity any manipulation with processes of dream and a wakefulness. It agrees to a working hypothesis, dream is connected to processes of processing of the information acting at a wakefulness, concerning to mastering new experience, memory and protection against a stress. As far as it is authentic, while it is not known, however the lead experiences on deprivation of dream without use of any medicamental and other agents show, that the prolonged wakefulness augmentation of number of made mistakes, retardation of reaction, falling of serviceability is artificial causes and in the ends - ends comes to an end that the organism falls asleep. Otherwise it is fraught with psychological frustration and even infringements.
Interest to a problem of the control over dream and wakefulness show, first of all, physicians - to them the God ordered, and also, that is especially appreciable last time, militarians. The last assign to the projects devoted to development of control facilities by a regimen of a dream - wakefulness, the big hopes, therefore an appreciable share of researches are financed by the organizations of a military-industrial structure, in particular, DARPA in the USA (where, basically, and it is carried out the overwhelming majority of such works). DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) or Management of perspective research programs - the state agency the USA which is engaged in financing of a plenty of rather courageous projects - so, in particular, belongs to it an appreciable role in development of technology Stels and creation the Internet. And now money and scientists DARPA work above creation of agents of the control over dream.
Quite clearly, what advantages the soldier will have, capable is high-grade to be awake during seven day to series. Probably, such opportunity can play a main role in the decision of destiny of battle, therefore the military USA hope that achievement of ability for a long time will not sleep one of steps on a way to the strategic superiority of the soldiers in the future battles.
Probably, the inevitable need for dream as an element of the human factor also was one of the reasons of some accidents, in particular, Chernobyl failure and destruction of American ship Challenger. So the control over dream can be useful not only the militarian.
How all is possible to solve a problem? One of priority directions in searches of agents of the control over dream - research of natural examples of a long wakefulness. In this plan interest is represented with some kinds of organisms, first of all dolphins and erratic birds.
Dolphins - warm-blooded and rather active mammal, breathing atmospheric air, therefore they periodically require emerging to a surface after new portion of Oxygenium. Researches have shown, that the given animals do not sleep in that value of the given term which is applicable to the person - instead of it separate parts of their brain by turns stay in a condition of a wakefulness and rest. The American militarians within the framework of the project of training of dolphins and sea lions to underwater operations also carry out scanning their brain with the help of a method of a позитронно-issue tomography with the purpose better to understand the nature of their constant activity.
Also research birds who make long migratory flights during which stay in an awake condition till 5 and more day. Such birds, even being prisoners in a cell during natural flight, change usual " a regimen of day " and do not sleep some day successively. Experiences show, that abilities of birds at this time remain constant.
Now scientists are borrowed with research of what processes in an organism of birds precede the period of permanent activity.
However to study the nature of a wakefulness of other animals is only the beginning. Further it is necessary to find a way to apply the received knowledge concerning the person. For this purpose there are, at least, some ways:
- Influence at a genetic level. Human a gene contains a plenty of the unexplored genes, and also sites of the DNA which are considered nonfunctional whereas at animals they carry out the vital functions. If we will manage to open sequences to which mechanisms of a regulation of a regimen of dream and a wakefulness at animals are connected, it will be possible to try "to include" them and at the person;
- Pharmaceutical influence. An example - used by many of us coffee. Militarians, the truth to extinguish weariness and to raise endurance of soldiers, addressed to use not only a coffeine, but as it is found out, and some other preparations. So, in particular, during the Second world war in armies of the Great Britain, Germany and Japan for struggle against fatigue were used Amphetamine. Probably, they are used and now.
Recently in the market preparation Modafanil (under brand Provigil) which, according to scientists, is capable effectively has appeared and without harmful collateral influences to prolong the period of a day time wakefulness, not influencing on night dream.
Provigil has been created and tested with the purpose of treatment of the nervous breakdown called a narcolepsy.
Narcolepsy - disease which basic attribute are attacks of a uncontrollable sleepiness (an excessive day time sleepiness, excessive daytime sleepiness or EDS). Patients fall asleep in an operating time, even during walking, driving on a bicycle, at conversation, behind a rudder in jams. Duration and depth of attacks of a sleepiness are usually insignificant also patients wake up at insignificant hums. Among displays of a narcolepsy also a catalepsy - a short-term relaxation of muscles, and infringements of night dream. Hormonal frustration are possible.
In Great Britain Provigil it is applied only to destination the doctor, however in the USA where similar preparations are more accessible, it makes interest for students and habitues of night clubs. Also, clear business, to it militarians, and also rescuers and representatives of other extreme trades show interest.
Provigil, active working which beginning is modafanil, "disconnects" need for dream, allowing long time to support a condition of a wakefulness. It is not an amphetamine and, according to physicians, does not cause dependence. Under indications, the preparation should be accepted unitary in the beginning of day. Such dose allows to keep a wakefulness till the evening, but does not break night dream. Possible contraindications can be pregnancy or a feeding a breast, a possible allergy and diseases of heart, kidneys or a liver. In case of use of medicamental contraceptives, their action can be weakened. The most often fixed by-effect were headaches. Besides sometimes, but much less often, the nausea, a nervousness, anxiety or a sleeplessness have been fixed. However, not looking that serious collateral influences is not marked, physicians are afraid of possible overdosages.
- One more possible direction in searches of ways of the control over dream is use of not involved resources of a brain, - believe Jacob Stern and Sarah Lisanby from University of Columbia. They pay attention that some people quite normally manage all several hours of dream per day and thus do not test any negative consequences.
During the project, Stern and Lisanby are going to lead a series of experiences on 75 militarians with use of two new technologies - a магнито-resonant tomography and a magnetic stimulation (transcranial magnetic stimulation, TMS). With the help of the first scientists are going to obtain the data on activity of separate sites of a brain of experimental problems at the decision before deprivation of dream. So they hope to define key sites which functioning is connected to maintenance of an awake condition. Further researchers are going to stimulate the given sites by means of TMS with the purpose is artificial to induce their action.
Stern and Lisanby hope, that thus it will be possible to open nervous frames which provide low need for dream of some people, and to influence these frames in the practical purposes.
Certainly, the idea completely to get rid of dream is rather attractive, however, probably, too radical. According to Stern, " the Greatest, on what we hope today, it to make so that people during deprivation of dream felt like not worse, than during a usual wakefulness ".
However all this in the future. And now, at the moment of end of article, I strongly would like to sleep. And, know, all the same in it something is :.
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