Fetus experiences dream-like states during seventh month in womb – research
Author: Willow // Category: UncategorizedA group of mathematicians and neuroscientists believe that a developing fetus in a woman’s womb experience dream-like state starting on its seventh month of development.
According to their research, the brain of the embryo alternates every twenty to forty minutes between rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.
However, the researchers stressed that measuring the brain activity of fetuses directly at this point is impossible. Mathematician Karin Schwab said that current technology could still not measure the brain activities directly.
The group, which hails from Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, Germany, conducted the study using sheep. Sheep carries one or two fetuses that are similar in weight and size to a human fetus. They recorded the brain’s electrical activity of a 3-month sheep fetus directly. They have yet to make a conclusion if these findings are similar to human fetuses.
Schwab said: “Sleep does not suddenly evolve from a resting brain. Sleep and sleep state changes are active regulated processes.”
Research on brain development is deemed important since it could provide clues about neurological disorders that occur to some people later in light. Having a more comprehensive understanding of the brain development could lead to cure.
The group’s research was published in Chaos – a publication by AIP (American Institute of Physics).
