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Electrophysiological Correlates of Dream Recall During REM Sleep: Evidence from Multiple Awakenings and Within-Subjects Design.

Serena Scarpelli, Chiara Bartolacci, Aurora D'Atri, Milena Camaioni, Ludovica Annarumma, Maurizio Gorgoni, Chiara Cloos, Michele Ferrara, Luigi De Gennaro

Nature and Science of Sleep 2020 DOI: 10.2147/nss.s279786 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Observational cohort Peer reviewed
Sample size 10
Population Subjects showing combinations of dream recall and non-recall conditions in both first and second parts of the night
Topics Dreaming
Keywords EEG Rem sleep Activation hypothesis Multiple awakenings Sleep homeostasis
Key findings Dream recall is associated with higher activation regardless of homeostatic pressure across the night of sleep, providing evidence in favor of the activation-hypothesis.

Abstract

In the current study, we aimed to investigate the EEG correlates of dream recall (DR) monitoring both the homeostatic and state-trait like factors. We assessed the influence of the time of night on the EEG correlates of DR from REM sleep. Specifically, we tested the continuity-hypothesis (on the theta EEG band) and the activation-hypothesis (on the delta and beta bands). Twenty-seven subjects underwent polysomnography with multiple provoked awakenings during REM sleep. Only the subjects showing combinations of dream recall (REC) and non-REC (NREC) conditions in both first (1st-2nd sleep cycle) and second (3rd-4th sleep cycle) part of the night were included in the analyses. The final sample was composed of 10 subjects (mean age 24±0.70). EEG power spectra of the 5-min of REM sleep preceding each awakening were computed by a fast Fourier transform. The following frequency bands were considered: delta (0.50-4.75 Hz), theta (5.00-7.75 Hz), and beta (16.00-24.75 Hz). We also calculated the delta/beta power ratio as an integrated EEG index of activation. The 2×2 within-subjects ANOVA recall × time revealed: a) no significant effect for time and no interaction; b) significant differences over the occipital area in the beta band; c) significant differences over the parietal area for the activation index values. Overall, the results indicated that DR is associated with higher activation regardless of homeostatic pressure across the night of sleep. In line with recent findings, we have shown that DR is predicted by desynchronized EEG activity during REM sleep, providing clear evidence in favor of the activation-hypothesis. We have also confirmed that the EEG pattern of DR can be ascribed to state-like factors. Further studies should assess whether homeostatic modulation may interact with some dream features and the related EEG predictors.

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

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