Investigation on Neurobiological Mechanisms of Dreaming in the New Decade

Dream research has advanced significantly over the last twenty years through neuroimaging and electrophysiological techniques. Mental activity during sleep and wakefulness shares similar neural bases. Dream experience is promoted by brain activation with reduced low frequencies and increased rapid frequencies. The posterior parietal area and prefrontal cortex are responsible for dream experience. Dreaming can be manipulated by sensory stimulations that incorporate specific cues into dream scenarios. Transcranial stimulation techniques have modulated consciousness during sleep, adding information about neural correlates of dream recall. The continuity and activation hypotheses provide growing understanding of neural processes underlying dreaming, but issues remain regarding state-/trait-like variables, circadian and homeostatic factors, and parasomnia-like events.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Dream research has advanced significantly over the last twenty years, thanks to the new applications of neuroimaging and electrophysiological techniques. Many findings pointed out that mental activity during sleep and wakefulness shared similar neural bases. On the other side, recent studies have highlighted that dream experience is promoted by significant brain activation, characterized by reduced low frequencies and increased rapid frequencies. Additionally, several studies confirmed that the posterior parietal area and prefrontal cortex are responsible for dream experience. Further, early results revealed that dreaming might be manipulated by sensory stimulations that would provoke the incorporation of specific cues into the dream scenario. Recently, transcranial stimulation techniques have been applied to modulate the level of consciousness during sleep, supporting previous findings and adding new information about neural correlates of dream recall. Overall, although multiple studies suggest that both the continuity and activation hypotheses provide a growing understanding of neural processes underlying dreaming, several issues are still unsolved. The impact of state-/trait-like variables, the influence of circadian and homeostatic factors, and the examination of parasomnia-like events to access dream contents are all opened issues deserving further deepening in future research.