Research SquareOctober 14, 2026Océane Lüthi, Vincent Rochas, Audrey Theux et al.
preprint
Abstract Post-traumatic stress disorder is frequently associated with post-traumatic nightmares, which may be related to cortical hyperarousal. Imagery Rehearsal Therapy is the first-line treatment for nightmares. Targeted Memory Reactivation, which reactivates specific memories during sleep to enhance memory consolidation, has been shown to enhance the effects of Imagery Rehearsal Therapy in...
The function of dreams is a longstanding scientific research question. Simulation theories of dream function, which are based on the premise that dreams represent evolutionary past selective pressures and fitness improvement through modified states of consciousness, have yet to be tested in cross-cultural populations that include small-scale forager societies. Here, we analyze dream content...
Nightmare disorder (ND) is characterized by dreams with strong negative emotions occurring during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. ND is mainly treated by imagery rehearsal therapy (IRT), where the patients are asked to change the negative story line of their nightmare to a more positive one. We here used targeted memory reactivation (TMR) during REM sleep to strengthen IRT-related memories and...
Background: Nightmare disorder (ND) is characterized by dreams with strong negative emotions occurring during rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep. ND is mainly treated by imagery rehearsal therapy (IRT), where the patients are asked to change the negative story line of their nightmare to a more positive one. Methods: We used targeted memory reactivation (TMR) during REM sleep to strengthen...