The behavior of the pupil and of the eyeballs was studied in cats during physiological sleep with the aid of a special apparatus which prevents the closure of the eyelids without discomfort to the animal. The result can be summarized as follows: (1) in the blinded cat and in the normal animal examined in darkness with a sniperscope there is a relationship between myosis and EEG synchronization. When the EEG is strongly synchronized the pupil is fissurated. (2) During desynchronized sleep the pupil is nearly or clearly fissurated, so that it does not differ greatly from the last moments of the synchronized sleep. However, phasic dilations of the pupil occur synchronously with the outburst of rapid ocular movements. (3) The phenomenon described under (2) and particularly the phasic dilations of the pupils are still present after preganglionic sympathectomy. (4) During the desynchronized phase of sleep besides the rapid, binocularly synchronous, symmetrical ocular movements, slower and dissociated ocular movements are observed. (5) In the newborn cat the rapid ocular movements have the same pattern as in the adult animal. The significance of this result is discussed with regard to the "looking at dream pictures" hypothesis. (42 ref.) ((c) 1997 APA/PsycINFO, all rights reserved)

Pupil behavior and ocular movements during synchronized and desynchronized sleep

BERLUCCHI, Giovanni;
1964-01-01

Abstract

The behavior of the pupil and of the eyeballs was studied in cats during physiological sleep with the aid of a special apparatus which prevents the closure of the eyelids without discomfort to the animal. The result can be summarized as follows: (1) in the blinded cat and in the normal animal examined in darkness with a sniperscope there is a relationship between myosis and EEG synchronization. When the EEG is strongly synchronized the pupil is fissurated. (2) During desynchronized sleep the pupil is nearly or clearly fissurated, so that it does not differ greatly from the last moments of the synchronized sleep. However, phasic dilations of the pupil occur synchronously with the outburst of rapid ocular movements. (3) The phenomenon described under (2) and particularly the phasic dilations of the pupils are still present after preganglionic sympathectomy. (4) During the desynchronized phase of sleep besides the rapid, binocularly synchronous, symmetrical ocular movements, slower and dissociated ocular movements are observed. (5) In the newborn cat the rapid ocular movements have the same pattern as in the adult animal. The significance of this result is discussed with regard to the "looking at dream pictures" hypothesis. (42 ref.) ((c) 1997 APA/PsycINFO, all rights reserved)
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11562/6393
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