Positive occipital sharp transients of sleep: relationships to nocturnal sleep cycle in man.

Abstract Overnight polygraphic recordings were performed on 6 subjects who had normal diurnal waking and sleep EEGs and no significant findings on neurological examination. These individuals displayed prominent physiologic “positive occipital sharp transients of sleep” (POSTS) which were visually counted and related to the nocturnal sleep cycle. POSTS were numerous during all stages of NREM sleep and occurred more frequently during stages 2 and 3 than 1 and 4. On the contrary, they were absent or very rare during REM sleep. Striking similarities existed between these potentials and the lambda waves (LWs) occurring in waking subjects intent at visually exploring an illuminated patterned field. The hypothesis is proposed that POSTS of human subjects might indicate that some form of “playback” of information takes place during NREM sleep in cortical areas related to vision. The purpose of this postulated playback might be to re-examine vast amounts of visual material collected during the day, perhaps with the intent of sorting, analyzing further and compressing novel, relevant data for long-term memory storage while simultaneously rejecting redundant and/or irrelevant information.

[1]  D. C. Brooks,et al.  Waves associated with eye movement in the awake and sleeping cat. , 1968, Electroencephalography and clinical neurophysiology.

[2]  G. Arfel,et al.  Occipital Sharp Waves of Sleep Contrasted with Lambda Waves , 1973 .

[3]  A. Rechtschaffen,et al.  A manual of standardized terminology, technique and scoring system for sleep stages of human subjects , 1968 .

[4]  L. Johnson,et al.  Spectral analysis of the EEG during waking and sleeping. , 1967, Electroencephalography and clinical neurophysiology.

[5]  R G Bickford,et al.  Lambda responses in the human electroencephalogram , 1967, Neurology.

[6]  Dana C. Brooks.  Localization and characteristics of the cortical waves associated with eye movement in the cat. , 1968, Experimental neurology.

[7]  J C ARMINGTON,et al.  Averaged Brain Activity Following Saccadic Eye Movement , 1964, Science.

[8]  K. Gaarder,et al.  Interpretive Study of Evoked Responses Elicted by Gross Saccadic Eye Movements , 1968, Perceptual and motor skills.

[9]  B. Cohen,et al.  Potential changes associated with rapid eye movement in the calcarine cortex. , 1971, Experimental neurology.

[10]  R G Bickford,et al.  Electrophysiologic Studies during Scanning and Passive Eye Movements in Humans , 1967, Science.

[11]  L Cigánek,et al.  Lambda responses in relation to visual evoked responses in man. , 1969, Electroencephalography and clinical neurophysiology.

[12]  Reginald G. Bickford,et al.  Stimulus Indicators of Summated Human λ-Responses , 1969 .

[13]  E. A. Newman,et al.  Human Dream Processes as Analogous to Computer Programme Clearance , 1965, Nature.

[14]  F. Gibbs,et al.  Atlas of electroencephalography , 1941 .

[15]  R. Galamboš,et al.  Lambda waves evoked by retinal stimulation in the absence of eye movements. , 1973, Electroencephalography and clinical neurophysiology.

[16]  H. Gastaut,et al.  Mecanisme des potentiels occipitaux évoqués par les mouvements saccadés des yeux. , 1957 .

[17]  A Rémond,et al.  [Chrono-topographic study of middle occipital activity recorded on the scalp in humans in relation to eye movements (lambda complex)]. , 1965, Revue neurologique.

[18]  M. Roth,et al.  The Lambda Wave as a Normal Physiological Phenomenon in the Human Electroencephalogram , 1953, Nature.

[19]  G. Chatrian,et al.  Electrographic patterns of the occipital lobe in man: a topographic study based on use of implanted electrodes. , 1962, Electroencephalography and clinical neurophysiology.

[20]  J. Kugler,et al.  Lambda waves during sleep. , 1971, Electroencephalography and clinical neurophysiology.

[21]  J GREEN.  Some observations on lambda waves and peripheral stimulation. , 1957, Electroencephalography and clinical neurophysiology.

[22]  Lambda Waves of Human Subjects of Different Age Levels , 1971 .

[23]  M. Jeannerod,et al.  Occipital and geniculate potentials related to eye movements in the unanaesthetized cat. , 1970, Brain research.

[24]  C C EVANS,et al.  Spontaneous excitation of the visual cortex and association areas; lambda waves. , 1953, Electroencephalography and clinical neurophysiology.