Cerebral Cortex
February 17, 2011
Philipp G. Sämann, Renate Wehrle, David Hoehn et al.
408 citations
As people fall asleep, the brain's default mode network (DMN) and its anticorrelated network (ACN) break down. In 25 healthy participants, functional connectivity between key brain regions—especially the posterior cingulate cortex, parahippocampal gyrus, and medial prefrontal cortex—decreased with deeper non-REM sleep. The loss of synchronization between the posterior and anterior midline nodes of the DMN, and between the DMN and ACN, suggests that preserved corticocortical connectivity is necessary for maintaining internal and external awareness. The posterior cingulate/retrosplenial cortex appears particularly important for regulating consciousness.
Sleep
June 29, 2012
Martin Dresler, Renate Wehrle, Victor I. Spoormaker et al.
271 citations
Lucid dreaming—being aware that one is dreaming—is associated with reactivation of brain areas that are normally deactivated during REM sleep. In one experienced lucid dreamer who had two episodes of verified lucid REM sleep long enough for fMRI analysis, the bilateral precuneus, cuneus, parietal lobules, and prefrontal and occipito-temporal cortices showed strong activation compared with non-lucid REM sleep. This pattern may explain the return of reflective cognitive abilities that characterize lucid dreaming.
Frontiers in Psychology
January 1, 2014
Martin Dresler, Leandra Eibl, Christian Fischer et al.
52 citations
In frequent lucid dreamers, the experience of volition—the sense of control over one's actions—is similar during lucid dreaming and wakefulness, and both are significantly higher than during non-lucid dreaming. However, specific aspects differ: planning ability is strongest while awake, intention enactment is strongest during lucid dreaming, and self-determination is equally strong during wakefulness and lucid dreaming. These findings confirm that different higher-order aspects of consciousness, such as volition, are expressed differently across conscious states.
Sleep Medicine Reviews
April 1, 2015
Martin Dresler, Renate Wehrle, Victor I. Spoormaker et al.
Lucid dreaming, a rare sleep state where the dreamer becomes aware of dreaming, offers a testable model for psychosis. Recent EEG and fMRI data show that brain areas activated during lucid dreaming overlap strikingly with regions impaired in psychotic patients who lack insight into their condition. This parallel suggests that insight into dreaming and insight into psychosis share similar neural correlates, opening new avenues for therapeutic approaches and testing antipsychotic medication.
Current biology : CB
November 8, 2011
Martin Dresler, Stefan P. Koch, Renate Wehrle et al.
During lucid REM sleep, performing a dreamed hand movement activates the sensorimotor cortex in the same way as an actual movement. By combining fMRI and NIRS with polysomnography, the study used eye signals as temporal markers to link neural activity to specific dream content. This provides first evidence that the contents of REM-associated dreams can be visualized by neuroimaging, overcoming the previous impossibility of experimentally controlling spontaneous dream activity.