The Effects of Distorted Visual Input on Sleep.

An experiment in which 3 subjects wore prism lenses, which rotated the visual environment through 90 degrees and reversed right-left the visual field, was carried out to investigate whether visual distortion would affect sleep. An initial 2 laboratory adaptation nights, 6 pre-experiments days wearing heavy spectacles of plain glass that restricted the visual field but did not distort it, followed by 6 experimental days wearing distorting prisms, and then 6 post-experimental days with no spectacles, were consecutive. All-night sleep recordings were performed. Sleep parameters remained within normal limits during the 18-day period and there was no change in % REM sleep, or eye movement profusion, despite the fact that performance tasks confirmed that learning to cope with the distorted visual world took place. The latency to the first REM period, the % of stages 3 and 4 sleep, and the amount of REM sleep in the first 2 hrs of sleep were unaffected. There was a tendency toward greater intra-sleep restlessness. Results did not confirm the report of Zimmerman, Stoyva, and Metealf (1970). The results should not, however, be taken as providing positive evidence against Links between learning, cerebral protein synthesis, and REM sleep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Psychophysiology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)