Lucid dreaming and ventromedial versus dorsolateral prefrontal task performance.
Michelle Neider, Edward F Pace-Schott, Erica Forselius, Brian Pittman, Peter T Morgan
Consciousness and Cognition June 1, 2011 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2010.08.001 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractGreater lucidity in dreams is linked to better performance on a task that engages the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (the Iowa Gambling Task), but not on a task engaging the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (the Wisconsin Card Sort Task). In a prospective study of 28 high school students, those with higher lucidity scored significantly higher on the Iowa Gambling Task. No differences were found in sleep quality or baseline characteristics. The findings suggest a connection between lucid dreaming and ventromedial prefrontal function.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Prospective study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 28 |
| Population | High school students |
| Duration | 1 week of dream journaling |
| Key finding | Greater dream lucidity was associated with better performance on the Iowa Gambling Task, which engages the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, but not on the Wisconsin Card Sort Task, which engages the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. |
Abstract
Activity in the prefrontal cortex may distinguish the meta-awareness experienced during lucid dreams from its absence in normal dreams. To examine a possible relationship between dream lucidity and prefrontal task performance, we carried out a prospective study in 28 high school students. Participants performed the Wisconsin Card Sort and Iowa Gambling tasks, then for 1 week kept dream journals and reported sleep quality and lucidity-related dream characteristics. Participants who exhibited a greater degree of lucidity performed significantly better on the task that engages the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (the Iowa Gambling Task), but degree of lucidity achieved did not distinguish performance on the task that engages the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (the Wisconsin Card Sort Task), nor did it distinguish self-reported sleep quality or baseline characteristics. The association between performance on the Iowa Gambling Task and lucidity suggests a connection between lucid dreaming and ventromedial prefrontal function.