Rapid eye movements in the kitten

Abstract The horizontal and vertical components of the rapid eye movements (REMs) of paradoxical sleep have been analysed in kittens of a few weeks of age and in adult cats. The following differences between young and adult animals have been found: (a) in kittens the horizontal and vertical components of the REMs are of saccadic type; in adult cats only the vertical components are saccades; (b) the peak velocity and the rate of velocity increase are surprisingly greater in kittens than in adult cats. These data might indicate that REM sleep plays a role in the maturation of neuronal organization of eye movements.