A complementary relationship between waking and REM sleep in the direction of eye movements: preliminary data on lateral eye movers subjects. International Journal of Psychophysiology 11; 21, 1991

We have recently reported a prevalence of upward vertical rapid eye movements (REMsl during REM sleep [2]. Since complementarities between waking and REM sleep eye movements (EMS) have been reported with respect to their amplitude [4] and frequency [I], and since much evidence points to a prevalence of downward EMS during waking, we have hypothesized that a complementary relationship may exist also concerning direction of EMS. Since it is known that there are subjects who, while reflecting on questions, deviate consistently their gaze in a given direction (e.g., ref. 31, we have tested the complementarity hypothesis predicting that during REM sleep right movers (RMl would show a prevalence of leftward REMs while left movers (LHl would show the opporite. One RH and one LH. showing more than 70% of horizontal EMS respectively to the right and to the left while reflecting on 4X questions [3], slept for three consecutive nights in a sleep lab. EEG. EMG, and EOG for horizontal and vertical REMs were recorded; all recordings were in AC with a time constant of 0.3 s. Due to the intrinsic limitations of AC recordings, only single REMs and the first REM in each burst were counted; REMs were considered single when more than 2.5 s apart, Oblique REMs, i.e.. phase deflection on the horizontal and vertical channels, were not counted. A significant difference between the RM and LM Ss. was found in the direction of horizontal REMs (Chi square = 50.63: P = 0.0001) indicating a prevalence of left REMs in the RM subject (219 vs. 671 and of right REMs in the LM subject (I 16 vs. 971. These preliminary data confirm the hypothesis of a complementary relationship between waking and sleep in the direction of EMS.