Cortical activation patterns herald successful dream recall after NREM and REM sleep.
Sarah Laxhmi Chellappa, Sylvia Frey, Vera Knoblauch, Christian Cajochen
Biological Psychology May 1, 2011 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2011.03.004 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 17 |
| Population | Young subjects |
| Duration | 40-h multiple nap protocol |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Key findings | Dream recall is associated with lower delta power in frontal NREM sleep and lower frontal alpha with higher occipital alpha and beta in REM sleep. |
Abstract
Dreaming pertains to both REM and NREM sleep. However, frequency and regional specific differences in EEG activity remains controversial. We investigated NREM and REM sleep EEG power density associated with and without dream recall in 17 young subjects during a 40-h multiple nap protocol under constant routine conditions. NREM sleep was associated with lower EEG power density for dream recall in the delta range, particularly in frontal derivations, and in the spindle range in centro-parietal derivations. REM sleep was associated with low frontal alpha activity and with high alpha and beta activity in occipital derivations. Our data indicate that specific EEG frequency- and topography changes underlie differences between dream recall and no recall after both NREM and REM sleep awakening. This dual NREM-REM sleep modulation holds strong implications for the mechanistic understanding of this complex ongoing cognitive process.
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 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 43
- Assessing sleep consciousness within subjects using a serial awakening paradigm Frontiers in Psychology 2013
- Dreaming in NREM Sleep: A High-Density EEG Study of Slow Waves and Spindles Journal of Neuroscience September 10, 2018
- EEG microstates of dreams Scientific Reports October 13, 2020
- What about dreams? State of the art and open questions Journal of Sleep Research April 13, 2022
- Consciousness and cortical responsiveness: a within-state study during non-rapid eye movement sleep Scientific Reports August 5, 2016
and 38 more in the library
Cites 5
- Dreaming During Non-rapid Eye Movement Sleep in the Absence of Prior Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Sleep December 1, 2004
- Does the circadian modulation of dream recall modify with age? Sleep September 1, 2009
- Consciousness during dreams. Consciousness and Cognition March 1, 2001
- Dream report length is more dependent on arousal level than prior REM duration. Brain Research Bulletin 1994
- Spectral EEG correlates of dream recall. Biological Psychiatry July 1, 1986