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pet dream videos

Using methods established in vision research, integrate neuronal activity in your pet's lateral geniculate nucleus during naptime; play the resulting video to see just what (s)he's dreaming of.
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Wondering just what quarry Rex is chasing in his fevered dreams? What kind of string-mounted toy Fifi wants for her birthday? What your turtle really thinks of you? For the answers, just tap into your pet's own latenite closed circuit cable tv show: make a pet dream video.

Back in 1999, Stanley et al. (J. Neurosci. 19:8036-42) reported the 'reconstruction of natural scenes from ensemble responses in the [cat] lateral geniculate nucleus.' Put simply, they monitored the activities of 177 neurons in a key region of the cat brain's sight pathway, and used the signals to reconstruct a low-res monochrome image of the cat's visual field. They got nice clear pics of woods, human faces, &c. out (whatever they showed the cat in question).

Taking their work a step further, why not monitor the same neurons during REM sleep, and reconstruct a video of the cat's dream? Though I don't know about the LGN per se, the thalamus it forms part of is certainly implicated in REM sleep and dreaming. So who knows what you'd find... monitoring a dog's dream, perhaps you'd see yourself animated, with an outsized food-giving, fur-stroking, comfy-smelling hand (ok, the smell pathway is a different challenge). And for some -real- video entertainment, dim the lights, nuke some popcorn, and break out the catnip...

n-pearson, Jun 18 2003

Stanley et al http://www.jneurosc...ent/full/19/18/8036
Link may not work. [bungston, Oct 05 2004, last modified Oct 17 2004]

Abstract - Stanley et al http://www.ncbi.nlm...79703&dopt=Abstract
This link will work, but no pictures. [bungston, Oct 05 2004, last modified Oct 17 2004]

Here are those pics! http://www.berkeley...acy/10-15-1999.html
OK - free access look at the cat brain pics. [bungston, Oct 05 2004, last modified Oct 17 2004]

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       This sounded like scifi to me, but those pictures captured from cat branes (sorry - unlinkable) were actually pretty good. I am surprised that there is no citation of real world recording from the cats - dreaming, awake, etc. I suspect this says something about the state of these poor cats, which in turn will earn this idea a basket of bones from the PETA inclined.   

       But I wonder if dreams actually use the same sensory reception mechanisms to artificially generate sensations, or if these are generated in the interpretive centers. I have put a chunk of hamburger under the nose of a sleeping dog with an apparent increase in dream running/barking so maybe those sensory areas stay active.   

       You get a bun from me for pointing out that interesting paper.
bungston, Jun 18 2003
  

       So all I have to do is cut Kitty's head open, cut a hole in the skull, insert medical probes...   

       Kitty ain't gonna like this. (-)
Cedar Park, Jun 18 2003
  

       Link please.
Gulherme, Jun 19 2003
  

       If available. But a link to the general vicinity of what [bung] found would be helpful as well.
Worldgineer, Jun 19 2003
  

       //dustin has begun moaning in his sleep lately, for long periods of time//   

       bliss, how can I put this? has he been done?
po, Jun 19 2003
  

       Did you take him to the city dump?
thumbwax, Jun 19 2003
  

       Can we go back to the bit about drilling holes in cat's crania ? I was really enjoying that part.   

       I'm not sure I do want to know what my dog dreams about. Maybe he's actullay remembering some huge scary monster that really does creep around my house while all the humans are sleeping .....
8th of 7, Jun 19 2003
  

       I was thinking much the same - it might actually cause our heads to cave in if we see reality as experienced by cats or dogs.
po, Jun 19 2003
  

       Cat: "where's that stupid, huge, lumbering cat with my dinner?" (whirrrrrr!) "CAN OPENER! YAY!"
Cedar Park, Jun 20 2003
  

       //I don't thinks cats are sentient// don't know much about cats obviously
po, Jun 20 2003
  

       Not sentient, eh? That's just what cats -want- you to think...
n-pearson, Jun 20 2003
  

       I think anyone of the cats, if they were here would, nonchalantly lick themselves from a. to elbow. what? me? who cares? yawn...
po, Jun 20 2003
  

       Hello Miss Po, U R right as always <yawn>
The Kat, Jun 20 2003
  

       <strokes Kat> do Kats like sugar cubes?
po, Jun 20 2003
  
      
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