Spontaneous eyelid movements during human sleep: a possible ponto-geniculo-occipital analogue?

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether eye lid movements (ELMs) were temporally related to the activity of other skeletal musculature and to proposed analogues of ponto-geniculo-occipital (PGO) waves during human sleep. Electroencephalogram (EEG), laryngeal-masseter electromyogram (EMG), electrooculgram (EOG), peri-orbital integrated potentials (PIPs), middle ear muscle activity (MEMA), ankle flexion (AF) and respiration (RESP) were monitored with ELMs during one night's sleep. Results showed that ELMs always occurred during full arousal and movement time. The ELMs that occurred during sleep were most prominent during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, occurred at higher freque..