A cognitive process occurring during sleep revealed by rapid eye movements
Science August 25, 2022 Y. Senzai, M. Scanziani
Rapid eye movements during REM sleep reveal the direction and amplitude of gaze shifts in the virtual environment of dreams. By recording head direction cells in the thalamus of mice, researchers found that these eye movements encode the animal's virtual heading as it navigates its dream world. The findings indicate that eye movements during REM sleep are not random brainstem activity but instead reflect the cognitive processes of the sleeping brain, providing a window into dream content.