Following an infection, a patient has damage to a small group of cells inside the hypothalamus. Tests show that the patient's eyes detect light normally. In the patient's hospital room, the lights are switched on at 07:00 and off at 22:00 each day.
The time at which the patient falls asleep is recorded for five days.
| Day | Time sleep started |
|---|---|
| 1 | 22:50 |
| 2 | 23:15 |
| 3 | 23:40 |
| 4 | 00:05 |
| 5 | 00:30 |
Name the body-clock structure most likely to have been damaged.
Using the data, explain how the damage has affected the patient's sleep-wake timing and suggest how the timing of melatonin release will change.
33 exam-style questions on OCR GCSE Psychology 6.3 Application: Development of treatments for insomnia, covering 6.3.1 Managing insomnia and 6.3.2 Neurological damage to the hypothalamus. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.