Dream Recall/Affect and the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis.
Athanasios Tselebis, Emmanouil Zoumakis, Ioannis Ilias
Clocks & Sleep July 22, 2021 DOI: 10.3390/clockssleep3030027 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Keywords | Hpa axis Cortisol Dreams Memory Sleep Stress |
| Key findings | The review summarizes evidence linking dream recall and affect to HPA axis activity, particularly cortisol, under physiological and pathological conditions, and considers the role of the COVID-19 pandemic. |
Abstract
In this concise review, we present an overview of research on dream recall/affect and of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, discussing caveats regarding the action of hormones of the HPA axis (mainly cortisol and its free form, cortisol-binding globulin and glucocorticoid receptors). We present results of studies regarding dream recall/affect and the HPA axis under physiological (such as waking) or pathological conditions (such as in Cushing's syndrome or stressful situations). Finally, we try to integrate the effect of the current COVID-19 situation with dream recall/affect vis-à-vis the HPA axis.