Dreaming and electroencephalographic changes during anesthesia maintained with propofol or desflurane.
Kate Leslie, Jamie Sleigh, Michael J Paech, Logan J. Voss, Chiew Woon Lim, Callum Sleigh
Anesthesiology September 1, 2009 DOI: 10.1097/aln.0b013e3181adf768 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 300 |
| Population | Patients presenting for noncardiac surgery |
| Intervention | desflurane-maintained anesthesia |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Key findings | Dream recall incidence was similar for propofol (27%) and desflurane (28%) patients, and dreaming was associated with a rapid eye movement-like electroencephalographic pattern just before awakening. |
Abstract
Dream recall is reportedly more common after propofol than after volatile anesthesia, but this may be due to delayed emergence or more amnesia after longer-acting volatiles. The electroencephalographic signs of dreaming during anesthesia and the differences between propofol and desflurane also are unknown. The authors therefore compared dream recall after propofol- or desflurane-maintained anesthesia and analyzed electroencephalographic patterns in dreamers and nondreamers and in propofol and desflurane patients for similarities to rapid eye movement and non-rapid eye movement sleep. Three hundred patients presenting for noncardiac surgery were randomized to receive propofol- or desflurane-maintained anesthesia. The raw electroencephalogram was recorded from induction until patients were interviewed about dreaming when they became first oriented postoperatively. Using spectral and ordinal methods, the authors quantified the amount of sleep spindle-like activity and high-frequency power in the electroencephalogram. The incidence of dream recall was similar for propofol (27%) and desflurane (28%) patients. Times to interview were similar (median 20 [range 4-114] vs. 17 [7-86] min; P = 0.1029), but bispectral index values at interview were lower (85 [69-98] vs. 92 [40-98]; P < 0.0001) in propofol than in desflurane patients. During surgery, the raw electroencephalogram of propofol patients showed more and faster spindle activity than in desflurane patients (P < 0.001). The raw electroencephalogram of dreamers showed fewer spindles and more high-frequency power than in nondreamers in the 5 min before interview (P < 0.05). Anesthetic-related dreaming seems to occur just before awakening and is associated with a rapid eye movement-like electroencephalographic pattern.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Efficacy of a Cognitive‐Behavioral Treatment for Insomnia and Nightmares in Afghanistan and Iraq Veterans With PTSD Combat veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and/or Operation Iraqi Freedom (mean age... | 2013 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Lucid Dreaming Treatment for Nightmares: A Pilot Study Chronic nightmare sufferers | 2006 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 23 |
| Testing the involvement of the prefrontal cortex in lucid dreaming: A tDCS study Participants spending three consecutive nights in a sleep laboratory | 2013 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 19 |
| Pre-sleep treatment with galantamine stimulates lucid dreaming: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study Adults with high dream recall and an interest in lucid dreaming | 2018 | Randomized crossover trial | n = 121 |
| Studies with lucid dreaming as add-on therapy to Gestalt therapy Adults with nightmares (ICD-10: F51.5) at least twice a week | 2015 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 32 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 30
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- Consciousness among delta waves: a paradox? Brain March 6, 2021
- Distributed harmonic patterns of structure-function dependence orchestrate human consciousness. Communications Biology January 28, 2023
- Cortical functional connectivity indexes arousal state during sleep and anesthesia. Neuroimage May 1, 2020
- Brain network integration dynamics are associated with loss and recovery of consciousness induced by sevoflurane Human Brain Mapping March 19, 2021
and 25 more in the library
Cites 9
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- Scopolamine prevents dreams during general anesthesia. Anesthesiology May 2007
- Dreaming during anesthesia and anesthetic depth in elective surgery patients: a prospective cohort study. Anesthesiology January 2007
- Poor recall of eye-movement signals from Stage 2 compared to REM sleep: implications for models of dreaming. Consciousness and Cognition September 2004
and 4 more in the library