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Fig. 2.8. Spontaneous activity in the cat PGO pathway. Each line shows a 65second electrode recording from a cell in the indicated area during REM sleep in the cat. Spontaneous REM sleep activation in the pons of the brainstem is relayed to the LGN of the thalamus (bottom), to the primary visual cortex (top), and to many other regions in the cortex. It is not yet known what spatial patterns of visual cortex activation are associated with this temporal activity, or with other types of internally generated activity during sleep. However, such activity is largely genetically determined and could affect how the visual system develops. Reprinted with permission from Marks et al. (1995), copyright 1995 by Elsevier.