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)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Prospective study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 28 |
| Population | High school students |
| Duration | 1 week of dream journaling |
| Topics | Dreaming Lucid dreaming |
| Key points | 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.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on lucid dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucid Dreaming: a State of Consciousness with Features of Both Waking and Non-Lucid Dreaming Student volunteers trained to become lucid and signal lucidity with horizontal eye... | 2009 | Observational study | n = 6 |
| Neural Correlates of Dream Lucidity Obtained from Contrasting Lucid versus Non-Lucid REM Sleep: A Combined EEG/fMRI Case Study Experienced lucid dreamers | 2012 | Observational cohort | n = 4 |
| Real-time dialogue between experimenters and dreamers during REM sleep. Individuals during REM sleep, including frequent lucid dreamers, a novice, and a... | 2021 | Observational study | n = 36 |
| Lucid Dreaming in Narcolepsy Consecutive patients with narcolepsy and healthy controls | 2015 | Case-control study | n = 106 |
| Metacognitive Mechanisms Underlying Lucid Dreaming Human participants split into high- and low-lucidity groups based on reported dream... | 2015 | Observational cohort |
Citations in the library
Cited by 15
- Lucid dreaming: an age‐dependent brain dissociation Journal of Sleep Research May 29, 2012
- Frequent lucid dreaming associated with increased functional connectivity between frontopolar cortex and temporoparietal association areas Scientific Reports December 6, 2018
- Peace of mind and anxiety in the waking state are related to the affective content of dreams Scientific Reports August 20, 2018
- Neurobiology and clinical implications of lucid dreaming Medical Hypotheses July 6, 2013
- Dream characteristics in a Brazilian sample: an online survey focusing on lucid dreaming Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2013
and 10 more in the library
Cites 10
- Lucid Dreaming: a State of Consciousness with Features of Both Waking and Non-Lucid Dreaming Sleep September 1, 2009
- Lucid Dreaming Verified by Volitional Communication during Rem Sleep Perceptual and Motor Skills June 1, 1981
- Lucid dreaming: Evidence and methodology Behavioral and Brain Sciences December 1, 2000
- Human cognition during REM sleep and the activity profile within frontal and parietal cortices: a reappraisal of functional neuroimaging data. Progress in Brain Research 2005
- Consciousness during dreams. Consciousness and Cognition March 1, 2001
and 5 more in the library