In the present study, the researchers focused on head direction cells, a subpopulation of neurons in a brain region called the thalamus. One of the reasons for this discrepancy is that these experiments have relied on accounts of the dreams of human participants, which are often inaccurate.įor this reason, the researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, examined brain activity in mice to objectively assess whether rapid eye movements during REM sleep were associated with specific cognitive processes that occur during sleep. However, researchers have also thought it possible that random brain activity during REM sleep may cause these rapid eye movements.Īlthough there has been some evidence suggesting that the direction or the frequency of eye movements during REM sleep may be linked to the content of dreams, there has also been some contradictory evidence. One of the major unanswered questions in the field of sleep research has been whether the rapid eye movements during REM sleep are associated with the content of dreams, reflecting the direction of the individual’s gaze in the virtual world of their dreams. REM sleep is associated with increased brain activity, and vivid dreams typically occur during REM sleep. REM sleep accounts for 20-25% of the total sleep period and is characterized by the rapid movement of the eyes from side to side. This work gives us a glimpse into the ongoing cognitive processes in the sleeping brain and at the same time solves a puzzle that’s triggered the curiosity of scientists for decades.”ĭuring sleep, animals and humans alternate between phases of REM sleep and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. They’re coordinated with what’s happening in the virtual dream world of the mouse. “We showed that these eye movements aren’t random. Massimo Scanziani, a professor at the University of California, San Francisco, says: These findings suggest that rapid eye movements during REM sleep may reflect changes in the head direction as the animal explores the virtual world in its dreams. These head movements are tracked by head direction cells in the brain, which function as a compass.Ī recent study published in Science shows that similar to observations in awake mice exploring their environment, the patterns of activity in head direction cells and eye movements are also coordinated during REM sleep. When animals change their head direction as they explore a new environment, they also rapidly move their eyes in a coordinated manner. A new study involving mice suggests that these eye movements occurring during REM sleep may not be random but could reflect a shift in the animal’s gaze while dreaming.The significance of these eye movements during REM sleep has been long-debated in the scientific community.Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is characterized the rapid movement of eyes from side to side and is associated with the occurrence of vivid dreams.Share on Pinterest What explains rapid eye movements during sleep? Researchers may be getting closer to an answer.
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