Changes in selective attention as measured by the visual averaged evoked potential following REM deprivation in man

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After rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM deprivation, the amplitude of the major component of the averaged evoked potential (AEP) in attention and non-attention conditions was measured. The difference between the AEP in the attention and the non-attention conditions is considered to be a measure of selective attention and is greater following REM deprivation. It is suggested that this narrowing of the attentive field may be due to increased arousal or greater central nervous system excitability following REM deprivation.