Phasic EEG activities associated with rapid eye movements during REM sleep in man.
Human cortical potentials associated with rapid eye movements (REMs) during REM sleep were recorded in 6 normal young adults by using the averaging technique. The potentials were compared with those recorded during voluntary saccades in the waking state in a dark or an illuminated room. A positive potential of relatively long duration with peak latency of about 200 msec and a wide spread bilateral distribution and of highest amplitude in the mid-parietal area appeared only during REM sleep. It is suggested that this positive potential is phasic EEG activity appearing in association with REMs during REM sleep in man. Comparison of this positive potential with P300s induced by task-irrelevant visual stimuli disclosed that they resemble each other. The possibility was discussed that this positive potential occurring in association with REMs during REM sleep is indeed a P300 appearing in response to visual images in dream.
Niiyama
Y
Y
Department of Neuropsychiatry, Akita University School of Medicine, Japan.
Shimizu
T
T
Abe
M
M
Hishikawa
Y
Y
D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005133:Eye Movements; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012895:Sleep, REM