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Developing Sensorimotor Systems in Our Sleep
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Developing Sensorimotor Systems in Our Sleep

Mark S Blumberg
Current directions in psychological science : a journal of the American Psychological Society, Vol.24(1), pp.32-37
02/2015
DOI: 10.1177/0963721414551362
PMCID: PMC4414046
PMID: 25937709
url
http://doi.org/10.1177/0963721414551362View
Open Access

Abstract

Every animal must learn how to use its limbs within the developmental context of an ever-changing body. Typically, investigations of sensorimotor development focus on waking movements. Here, I consider another class of behavior: twitching movements that occur exclusively during active (REM) sleep. Twitches are particularly abundant in early infancy, when critical sensorimotor networks are established. In light of behavioral, electrophysiological, neurophysiological, and computational investigations of this unique behavior, twitches may prove critical for the development and maintenance of the sensorimotor system, as well as its repair after injury or disease.
REM behavior disorder myoclonic twitching atypical development developmental plasticity spontaneous activity activity-dependent development REM sleep sensorimotor integration recovery of function

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