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  • Essay / The Potential Impact of the Central Nervous System

    The experiment I designed aims to observe the potential impact of central nervous system (CNS) depressants on basic reading comprehension. CNS depressants come in many forms and categories, but for the sake of accuracy, the experiment would focus on one category such as benzodiazepines like diazepam (Valium) or alprazolam (Xanax) (“Sedatives”). Essentially, these medications slow down the central nervous system with the goal of either calming an individual or relieving tension in the body. We know that these are often prescribed for their anti-anxiety effects (Olsen and DeLorey). This can be achieved with a low dose of a CNS depressant, but if given more, a person may experience high levels of drowsiness, among other side effects. The intention of using them in an experiment is to determine if there is a significant change in how a person interprets a passage when taking a CNS depressant compared to when not taking one. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The null hypothesis is that when CNS depressants are administered, the subject's interpretation of a reading passage will not change significantly. The alternative hypothesis is that upon administration of CNS depressants, the subject's interpretation of a reading passage will change significantly. The point of having a null hypothesis here is that if the alternative hypothesis fails, there is still a hypothesis that is supported so that the experiment does not lead to a dead end. For this experiment, although double-blindness is the best way to avoid bias, we need to look for people who are already taking CNS depressants. This is because people who are not already prescribed these medications can become dependent on them. If not needed, it is possible for a person to experience a high because this class of medications increases the activity of gamma-aminobutyric acid in the brain (“prescription CNS depressants”). There is also an adjustment period that must occur in the body for the first few days someone takes them, as there are almost always side effects that someone will experience. These effects may include drowsiness and coordination problems (“prescription CNS depressants”). These would be variables that could skew the results of the experiment. The only variable we want to change is the independent variable, which is the CNS depressant. The dependent variable here is whether or not there is a significant change in the interpretation of the reading. We are calling for volunteers who are at least 18 years old and have been taking benzodiazepines for at least 30 days. Due to the nature of the experiment, it must take place in a clinical setting in the presence of a physician for fundamental safety reasons. All participants will read a short passage and answer a short series of multiple choice questions that reflect how they interpreted the passage. After a four-hour waiting period, half of the participants would receive a small dose of a CNS depressant and the other half would receive a placebo pill. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized paper from our expert now. writers.Get a Custom EssayOne hour after taking the pill, participants will read the same passage and answer the same questions. People taking the placebo should expect to answer the questions the same way as the first time,.