Dream content analysis in persons with an autism spectrum disorder.
Anne-Marie Daoust, Félix-Antoine Lusignan, Claude M J Braun, Laurent Mottron, Roger Godbout
Journal of autism and developmental disorders April 1, 2008 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-007-0431-z (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractDreaming in people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) differs from that of typically developed individuals. In questionnaires, adults with ASD reported fewer dream recollections, fewer bad dreams, and fewer emotions than controls. In a sleep laboratory, dream narratives after REM sleep awakenings were shorter for ASD participants, containing fewer settings, objects, characters, social interactions, activities, and emotions. These differences may reflect neurocognitive features specific to ASD.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 107 |
| Population | Young adults with autism spectrum disorder and typically developed controls |
| Key finding | Participants with ASD reported fewer dream recollections, fewer bad dreams, fewer emotions, and shorter dream narratives with fewer elements than controls. |
Abstract
Dream questionnaires were completed by 28 young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) participants. Seventy-nine typically developed individual served as the control group. In a subset of 17 persons with ASD and 11 controls matched for verbal IQ, dream narratives were obtained following REM sleep awakenings in a sleep laboratory. Questionnaires revealed that participants with ASD, compared to controls, had fewer recollections of dreaming, fewer bad dreams and fewer emotions. In the sleep laboratory, dream content narratives following REM sleep awakenings were shorter in ASD participants than in controls. ASD participants also reported fewer settings, objects, characters, social interactions, activities, and emotions. It is concluded that these characteristics of dreaming in ASD may reflect neurocognitive dimensions specific to this condition.