PHOTICALLY EVOKED RESPONSES IN VISUAL CORTEX UNITS DURING SLEEP AND WAKING

Abstract

Responses to 5/sec. retinal flashes of 5 msec. duration have been recorded, during sleep (S) and waking (W), from neurons of the striate cortex in the intact unrestrained cat. W is associated with an increase in the number of responsive units and with an increase in the ratio of evoked to spontaneous discharge. Evoked increases of activity at long (80-100 msec.) latency are particularly related to state of consciousness, being almost exclusively confined to W. Evoked decreases of activity were also more prominent during W than during S.