The Complexity of Dreams: a Multiscale Entropy Study on Cardiovascular Variability Series.
Mimma Nardelli, Ugo Faraguna, Giulia Grandi, R M Bruno, Gaetano Valenza, E P Scilingo
Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual International Conference July 1, 2019 DOI: 10.1109/embc.2019.8857120 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 8 |
| Population | Healthy subjects |
| Key findings | Higher cardiovascular complexity, measured by Distribution Entropy and Fuzzy Entropy, is associated with a dreaming experience during REM sleep. |
Abstract
Uncovering the physiological correlates of dreams is one of the most ambitious aim of multidisciplinary neuroscientific research. Here we investigated Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) dynamics associated with a dream recall, with a particular focus on the complexity assessment on cardiovascular control. We recorded electrocardiogram and arterial blood pressure signals from eight healthy subjects during rapid-eye-movement sleep before awakenings. Recordings were then split into two groups: the ones with a dream experience, and the ones without recall of dream experiences. The randomness of cardiovascular variability series was assessed through Sample Entropy metrics, which did not show any statistical difference between groups. On the other hand, a multiscale complexity analysis based on Distribution Entropy and Fuzzy Entropy revealed that a higher cardiovascular complexity is associated with a dreaming experience.