Science News
Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, studied eye movements in REM sleep and provided insights into the mechanisms behind our dreams and imagination. The study is published in the journal Science.
The Study
The research team examined “head direction” cells in the brains of mice during the stage of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. These cells act something like a mental compass to a dreaming individual. They recorded data from these cells and monitored how the mice’s eyes move during REM sleep.
The Findings
The results revealed that eyes scan dream images during REM sleep. In fact, our eye movement reveals dream direction in the dream world our brains create to integrate information gathered throughout the day.
One of the lead researchers, Massimo Scanziani, elaborated: “Understanding the mechanisms that allow us to coordinate so many distinct parts of the brain during sleep will give us insight into how those experiences become part of our individual models of what the world is and how it works.”
To Know More You May Refer To
Senzai, Y., & Scanziani, M. (2022). A cognitive process occurring during sleep is revealed by rapid eye movements. Science (New York, N.Y.), 377(6609), 999–1004. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abp8852