How we remember the stuff that dreams are made of: neurobiological approaches to the brain mechanisms of dream recall.
Luigi De Gennaro, Cristina Marzano, Carlo Cipolli, Michele Ferrara
Behavioural Brain Research January 15, 2012 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2011.10.017 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Key findings | The neurophysiological mechanisms underlying episodic/declarative memory formation may be the same across wakefulness and sleep. |
Abstract
Intrinsic and historical weaknesses delayed the spread of a sound neurobiological investigation on dreaming. Nevertheless, recent independent findings confirm the hypothesis that the neurophysiological mechanisms of encoding and recall of episodic memories are largely comparable across wakefulness and sleep. Brain lesion and neuroimaging studies converge in indicating that temporo-parieto-occipital junction and ventromesial prefrontal cortex play a crucial role in dream recall. Morphoanatomical measurements disclose some direct relations between volumetric and ultrastructural measures of the hippocampus-amygdala on the one hand, and some specific qualitative features of dreaming on the other. Intracranial recordings of epileptic patients also provide support for the notion that hippocampal nuclei mediate memory formation during sleep as well as in wakefulness. Finally, surface EEG studies showed that sleep cortical oscillations associated to a successful dream recall are the same involved in encoding and recall of episodic memories during wakefulness. Although preliminary, these converging pieces of evidence strengthen the general view that the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying episodic/declarative memory formation may be the same across different states of consciousness.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The cognitive neuroscience of lucid dreaming | 2019 | Review | |
| Sleep and dreaming are for important matters | 2013 | Review | |
| Nightmare Disorder and Isolated Sleep Paralysis | 2020 | Review | |
| My Dream, My Rules: Can Lucid Dreaming Treat Nightmares? | 2019 | Review | |
| Dream Recall: State or Trait Variable? Part I: Model, Theories, Methodology and Trait Factors | 1996 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 26
- Superior pattern processing is the essence of the evolved human brain Frontiers in Neuroscience August 22, 2014
- Spotlight on dream recall: the ages of dreams Nature and Science of Sleep 2018
- Investigation on Neurobiological Mechanisms of Dreaming in the New Decade Brain Sciences February 11, 2021
- Enactive or inactive? Cranially envatted dream experience and the extended conscious mind Philosophical Explorations May 4, 2018
- The bizarreness and reality of dreams Chinese Science Bulletin December 19, 2017
and 21 more in the library
Cites 6
- Amygdala and hippocampus volumetry and diffusivity in relation to dreaming Human Brain Mapping August 25, 2010
- Recalling and forgetting dreams: theta and alpha oscillations during sleep predict subsequent dream recall. Journal of Neuroscience May 4, 2011
- Dreams in patients with sleep disorders. Sleep Medicine Reviews June 1, 2009
- Rhinal-hippocampal connectivity determines memory formation during sleep. Brain January 2006
- Dreaming: A neuropsychological view. December 7, 2005
and 1 more in the library