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Qualia

Study: Whisker movements in rats shape brain development

November 12, 2012 | Author:AAAS member -- Freelance Writer Mary Bates, Ph.D.
Rat's long and important whiskers

High-speed video of sleeping newborn rats reveals rapid and complex twitching of their whiskers, in a rodent equivalent of rapid eye movements. Researchers say this discovery will help us better understand how spontaneous movements during sleep contribute to brain development in human babies as well as rat pups.