Title
Eye closure in darkness animates sensory systems.
Abstract
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
DOI
Venue
2003
10.1016/S1053-8119(03)00150-2
NeuroImage
DocType
Volume
Issue
Journal
19
3
ISSN
Citations 
PageRank 
1053-8119
18
1.85
References 
Authors
1
7
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Esther Marx1444.47
Thomas Stephan2465.52
Annina Nolte3181.85
Angela Deutschländer4243.20
Klaus C Seelos5181.85
Marianne Dieterich6628.68
Thomas Brandt714416.15