Structural and Functional Differences in Brain Mechanisms of Dream Recall
Serena Scarpelli, Maurizio Gorgoni, A. D’Atri, M. Ferrara, L. Gennaro
Handbook of Sleep Research 2019 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-813743-7.00018-9 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Key findings | Argues that dream recall is influenced by shared memory mechanisms between sleep and wakefulness, higher cortical activation, individual trait- and state-like neural differences, and brain maturation across the lifespan. |
Abstract
Abstract Once questioned the assumption that dreaming depends on REM sleep, subsequent studies focused on the neural correlates of dream recall (DR). Considering the indirect access to the sleep mentation, this chapter reviews the main neuropsychological, neuroimaging, and electrophysiological findings on DR. Compelling evidence supports the idea that shared mechanisms between sleep and wakefulness underline the encoding and retrieval of episodic memory, studying DR as amnestic trace. On the other side, several observations suggest that higher cortical activation is crucial to dreaming. Interestingly, individual stable characteristics (trait-like/structural differences) and the neural functioning in a specific physiological state (state-like/functional differences) could affect dream features. Moreover, we outline that also the brain maturation across the life span could explain some differences in dream experience. Although great advances have been made in dream research, the whole knowledge is heterogeneous, and a unifying theory about dream recall-related mechanisms is still lacking.
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 6
- Investigation on Neurobiological Mechanisms of Dreaming in the New Decade Brain Sciences February 11, 2021
- Dream Activity in Narcoleptic Patients During the COVID-19 Lockdown in Italy. Frontiers in Psychology 2021
- Longitudinal Findings on the Oneiric Activity Changes Across the Pandemic. Nature and Science of Sleep 2023
- Parasomnias I Oxford University Press eBooks May 22, 2025
- A systematic review of dreams and nightmares recall in patients with rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder. Journal of Sleep Research June 1, 2023
and 1 more in the library
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and 47 more in the library