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RESEARCH PRODUCT
Eye closure in darkness animates sensory systems.
Angela DeutschländerEsther MarxAnnina NolteThomas StephanKlaus SeelosMarianne DieterichThomas Brandtsubject
AdultMalegenetic structuresEye MovementsCognitive NeuroscienceSensory systemStimulationSomatosensory systemBrain mappingmedicineImage Processing Computer-AssistedHumansOcular Physiological PhenomenaOcular Physiological PhenomenaVestibular systemBrain Mappingmedicine.diagnostic_testElectronystagmographySomatosensory CortexDarknessMagnetic Resonance Imagingeye diseasesOxygenNeurologyElectronystagmographyDarknessFemalesense organsPsychologyNeurosciencedescription
Single subject and group analyses (n = 12) showed that the eyes-open and eyes-closed states in complete darkness considerably and consistently differ in the patterns of associated brain activation in fMRI. During nonchanging external stimulation, ocular motor and attentional systems were activated when the eyes were open; the visual, somatosensory, vestibular, and auditory systems were activated when the eyes were closed. These data suggest that there are two different states of mental activity: with the eyes closed, an "interoceptive" state characterized by imagination and multisensory activity and with the eyes open, an "exteroceptive" state characterized by attention and ocular motor activity. Our study also shows that the chosen baseline condition may have a considerable impact on activation patterns and on the interpretation of brain activation studies.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-07-01 | NeuroImage |