Dissociated resting-state functional networks between the dream recall frequency and REM sleep percentage.
Qihong Zou, Shuqin Zhou, Jing Xu, Zihui Su, Yuezhen Li, Yundong Ma, Hongqiang Sun, Changwei W Wu, Jia-Hong Gao
Neuroimage July 1, 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.03.015 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 43 |
| Population | Healthy adult volunteers |
| Duration | 2-week sleep diary, whole-night polysomnography |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Keywords | Dream recall frequency Functional connectivity Rem sleep percentage Resting-State FMRI |
| Key findings | Dream recall frequency and REM sleep percentage are associated with different brain functional networks, with dream recall linked to the lateral visual network and thalamus, and REM sleep linked to frontoparietal networks and cerebellum. |
Abstract
Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep has been frequently associated with dreaming. However, mounting evidence obtained from behavioral, pharmacological, and brain imaging studies suggests that REM sleep is not indicative of the dream report and may originate from diverse neural substrates in brain functionality. The aim of the current study was to investigate the functional systems associated with inter-individual differences in dream recall and REM sleep through assessments of the resting-state functional connectivity. We collected resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data for functional connectivity evaluations from 43 healthy adult volunteers (23 men) before and after sleep. For assessment of the dream recall frequency, a 2-week sleep diary was maintained by all volunteers. In addition, whole-night polysomnography was performed for measuring the REM sleep percentage. Voxel-wise correlation analyses of 12 functional connectivity networks of interest with the dream recall frequency and REM sleep percentage were conducted using general linear model analysis. Both the dream recall frequency and REM sleep percentage showed negative associations with multiple brain functional networks. However, the dream recall frequency was mainly related to functional connectivity within the lateral visual network and thalamus, whereas the REM sleep percentage was mainly associated with connectivity within the frontoparietal networks and cerebellum. In addition, the dream recall frequency showed stronger coupling with the lateral visual network connectivity at night, whereas the coupling between the REM sleep percentage and cerebellum was higher in the morning. This indicated a significant time of day effect. Our results provide neuroimaging evidence that the functional system associated with the dream recall frequency is different from that associated with the REM sleep percentage.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on 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 |
| Nightmare Prevalence, Nightmare Distress, and Self-Reported Psychological Disturbance Young adults with a mean age of 20 years | 2002 | Prospective observational study | n = 116 |
| Long-term effects of extreme situational stress on sleep and dreaming Survivors of traumatic events who complained of sleep disturbances, compared with... | 1987 | Case-control study | n = 11 |
| The relationship of nightmare frequency and nightmare distress to well‐being Adults who reported dreams | 2004 | Observational cohort | n = 147 |
| Dreaming in NREM Sleep: A High-Density EEG Study of Slow Waves and Spindles Healthy human subjects | 2018 | Observational cohort | n = 14 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- The Neural Architecture of Dream Recall Frequency: Insights from Interindividual Variations in Brain Structure and Function bioRxiv May 21, 2025
- The route to recall a dream: theoretical considerations and methodological implications. Psychological Research June 1, 2023
- Brain structural basis of individual variability in dream recall frequency. Brain Imaging and Behavior October 1, 2019
- Structural and Functional Differences in Brain Mechanisms of Dream Recall Handbook of Sleep Research 2019
Cites 10
- Rat brains also have a default mode network Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences February 21, 2012
- Dreamless: the silent epidemic of REM sleep loss. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences October 1, 2017
- The neural correlates of dreaming. Nature Neuroscience April 10, 2017
- Resting brain activity varies with dream recall frequency between subjects. Neuropsychopharmacology June 1, 2014
- Brain reactivity differentiates subjects with high and low dream recall frequencies during both sleep and wakefulness. Cerebral Cortex May 1, 2014
and 5 more in the library