Meshreky Kyrillos M, Lewis Penelope A
School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
Neuropsychologia. 2025 May 12;215:109169. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2025.109169.
Eye movements (EMs) are a defining feature of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, yet we are still not clear why they happen. A few hypotheses attempt to explain the possible underlying mechanisms. However, a clear understanding of their functional significance remains lacking. Interestingly, there is an EM component in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, that is approved for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The developer of EMDR, Francine Shapiro described the technique as mimicry of REM. Robert Stickgold built on this by proposing a putative neurobiological model in which the repeated eye movements in EMDR initiate brainstem REM-like mechanisms. In this article, we combine Stickgold's model with the results of a study which showed that alternating bilateral visual stimulation in mice yielded sustained increases in the activities of the Superior Colliculus (SC) and mediodorsal thalamus (MD) which suppressed the activity of basolateral amygdala. We pose a hypothetical question: could EMs during REM sleep similarly inhibit amygdala activity through the SC-MD pathway? And could this be part of the affective modulation mechanisms characteristic of REM sleep?
眼球运动（EMs）是快速眼动（REM）睡眠的一个决定性特征，但我们仍不清楚它们为何会发生。有几种假说试图解释其可能的潜在机制。然而，对于它们的功能意义仍缺乏清晰的认识。有趣的是，眼动脱敏再处理（EMDR）疗法中有一个眼球运动成分，该疗法已被批准用于治疗创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）。EMDR的开发者弗朗辛·夏皮罗将该技术描述为对快速眼动的模仿。罗伯特·斯蒂克戈尔德在此基础上提出了一个假定的神经生物学模型，其中EMDR中反复的眼球运动启动了类似脑干快速眼动的机制。在本文中，我们将斯蒂克戈尔德的模型与一项研究结果相结合，该研究表明，对小鼠进行双侧交替视觉刺激会使上丘（SC）和丘脑背内侧核（MD）的活动持续增加，而这会抑制基底外侧杏仁核的活动。我们提出一个假设性问题：快速眼动睡眠期间的眼球运动是否同样能通过上丘 - 丘脑背内侧核通路抑制杏仁核活动？这会不会是快速眼动睡眠特征性情感调节机制的一部分？
