Biology subjects

Carro-Dominguez, M.

Publications and source records attributed to Carro-Dominguez, M..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Video-based eye movements are linked to cortical and pupil-based arousal in human sleep

Study ObjectivesTo quantify high-resolution video-based eye kinematics across sleep macro- and microstructure and determine their coupling with pupil-based and cortical arousal markers. MethodsWe recorded polysomnography and utilized infrared video-based eye-tracking in 17 healthy adults. Computer vision was employed to extract eye position and speed, which were related to pupil size (subcortical arousal marker) and EEG spectral slope (cortical arousal marker) across sleep stages, rapid eye movement (REM) substates, and K-complexes. ResultsEye kinematics varied significantly across sleep stages (p<0.001), except for horizontal pupil position (p=0.192). Video-based eye position and speed are sufficient to classify stages with above chance level accuracy (47%). Eye movement speed positively correlated with pupil size during non-REM sleep (R[≥]0.21, p<0.001) and with spectral slope during wakefulness and REM sleep (R[≥]0.11, p<0.018). These strengths of the correlations differ depending on the direction of the eye movement. Phasic REM exhibited faster eye movements, larger pupil size (p<0.001), and a flatter spectral slope (p=0.014) compared to tonic REM, indicating elevated subcortical and cortical arousal. K-complexes were accompanied by increased eye movement speed (p<0.05) and a steeper spectral slope (p[≤]0.010), suggesting a transient shift toward a sleep-protective cortical state despite concurrent oculomotor activation. ConclusionsVideo-based eye-tracking reveals that eye movements are quantitatively coupled to brain-wide arousal fluctuations in a state-dependent manner. This methodology provides a ground-truth framework for resolving fine-grained eye dynamics during sleep, offering a high-fidelity tool for sleep phenotyping and clinical assessment. Statement of significanceTraditional sleep monitoring relies on low-resolution electrical signals that often confound true eye movements with brain or muscle activity. This study uses high-resolution video tracking to establish a physical ground truth for eye kinematics across human sleep. We demonstrate that eye movements are coupled with both cortical and subcortical arousal levels in a state-dependent manner, providing a clearer neurophysiological distinction between, for example, sleep substates like tonic and phasic REM. This framework reveals how the eyes serve as a non-invasive window into the brains internal arousal state. Such insights address critical gaps in understanding sleep microarchitecture and offer a novel pathway for developing high-fidelity biomarkers for neurological disorders, such as Parkinsons disease, characterized by disrupted sleep-related arousal.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

Pupil self-regulation modulates markers of cortical excitability and cortical arousal

The brains arousal state (i.e., central arousal) is regulated by multiple neuromodulatory nuclei in the brainstem and significantly influences high-level cognitive processes. By exploiting the mechanistic connection between the locus coeruleus (LC), a key regulator of central arousal, and pupil dynamics, we recently demonstrated that participants can gain volitional control over arousal-regulating centers including the LC using a pupil-based biofeedback approach. Here, we test whether pupil-based biofeedback modulates electrophysiological markers of cortical excitability, cortical arousal, and phasic LC activity. Combining pupil-based biofeedback with single-pulse TMS, EEG recordings, and an auditory oddball task revealed three main results: pupil self-regulation significantly modulates (i) cortical excitability, (ii) the EEG spectral slope, a marker of cortical arousal, and (iii) the P300 response to target tones, an event-related potential suggested to be tightly linked to phasic LC activity. Interestingly, pupil self-regulation strength was linearly linked to the modulation of the spectral slope, suggesting a common physiological mechanism. Here, we have shown that pupil-based biofeedback modulates fundamental aspects of brain function. Whether this method could further be used to modulate these aspects in case of disturbances associated with neurological and psychiatric disorders needs to be investigated in future studies.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

Cardiovascular responses to natural and auditory evoked slow waves predict post-sleep cardiac function

The interplay between slow-wave sleep and cardiovascular health is increasingly recognized. Our prior research showed that auditory-enhanced slow waves can boost cardiac function, yet the mechanisms behind this remain unclear. Advancing these findings, our current analysis dissected the effects of two slow wave types on cardiovascular function, using data from 18 middle-aged men across three nights. We found that the strength of heart rate and blood pressure responses concurrent with slow waves predicts cardiac function post-sleep. Notably, we identified that highly synchronized type I slow waves, as opposed to lower-amplitude type II slow waves, primarily co-occur with these cardiovascular pulsations. While auditory stimulation enhances both types of slow waves, they exhibit distinct temporal dynamics, pointing to different underlying biological mechanisms. This study crucially addresses how distinct slow wave types can affect cardiovascular function, implying that targeted slow wave stimulation could be a strategic approach to improve heart health.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2023

Pupil size reveals arousal level dynamics in human sleep

Recent animal research has revealed the intricate dynamics of arousal levels that are potentially crucial for maintaining proper sleep resilience and memory consolidation. Also in humans, changes in arousal level are believed to be a determining characteristic of healthy and pathological sleep but tracking arousal fluctuations has been methodologically challenging. Here we measured pupil size, an established indicator of arousal levels, during overnight sleep and tested whether the arousal level affects cortical response to auditory stimulation. We show that pupil size dynamics change as a function of sleep macrostructure and microstructural events. In particular, pupil size is inversely related to the occurrence of sleep spindle clusters, a marker of sleep resilience. Additionally, pupil size prior to auditory stimulation influences the evoked response, most notably in delta power, a marker of several restorative and regenerative functions of sleep. Recording pupil size dynamics provides novel insights into the interplay between arousal levels and sleep oscillations, opening new avenues for future research and clinical applications in diagnosing and treating pathological sleep associated with abnormal arousal levels.

neuroscience↗