Rostrum movements in desynchronized sleep as a prevalent manifestation of dreaming activity in Wistar rats
Timo-Iaria, C.; Yamashita, R.; Hoshino, K.; Souza-Melo, A.
Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research 23(6-7): 617-620
1990
ISSN/ISBN: 0100-879X PMID: 2101082 Document Number: 356523
Considering that eye movements express visual dreams in humans and are prominent during desynchronized sleep in cats, monkeys and birds, rostrum movements were investigated in a macrosmatic species, the rat, to assess the hypothesis that, expressing olfactory and tactile (involving the vibrissae) dreams, they would prevail over eye movements. Desynchronized sleep episodes lasted 148.8 .+-. 12.4 s, rostrum movements lasted 80.7 .+-. 6.9 s and eye movements occurred during 40.4 .+-. 3.9 s, all in accordance with the original hypothesis.