Amygdala and hippocampus volumetry and diffusivity in relation to dreaming
Luigi De Gennaro, Carlo Cipolli, Andrea Cherubini, Francesca Assogna, Claudia Cacciari, Cristina Marzano, Giuseppe Curcio, Michele Ferrara, Carlo Caltagirone, Gianfranco Spalletta
Human Brain Mapping August 25, 2010 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.21120 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 34 |
| Population | Healthy subjects aged 20s to 70s |
| Duration | Two weeks |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Citations | 79 |
| Key findings | Dream recall frequency showed no significant relationship with amygdala or hippocampus measures, but qualitative features did: higher left amygdala mean diffusivity was associated with shorter dream reports and lower emotional load, and bizarreness correlated negatively with left amygdala volume and positively with right amygdala mean diffusivity. |
Abstract
Microstructural analyses by MRI brain scans and by DTI analysis of MR images were used to investigate the possible relationship between deep gray matter structures (amygdala and hippocampus) and dreaming in healthy subjects. Thirty-four subjects ranging in age 20s to 70s underwent to a MRI protocol for the assessment of volume and mean diffusivity (MD) in the amygdala and hippocampus and were asked to fill out a dream diary via audiotape recording upon morning awakening for two weeks. Multiple regression analyses evaluated the relationships between anatomical measures and quantitative and qualitative measures of the reported dreams. The main result points to a dissociation between some quantitative and qualitative aspects of dream reports. While the mean number of dreams recalled per day did not show any significant relationship with the neuroanatomical measures, significant associations with some qualitative features of the recalled dreams (emotional load, bizarreness, and vividness) and, to some extent, with the length of dream reports were observed. Particularly, a higher MD of the left amygdala, reflecting a decreased microstructural integrity, was associated with shorter dream reports and lower scores on emotional load. Bizarreness of dream reports was negatively correlated with the left amygdala volume and positively correlated with the right amygdala MD. Some specific, although weaker, relationships were also found between bizarreness and hippocampal measures. These findings indicate some direct relationships between volumetric and ultrastructural measures of the hippocampus-amygdala complex and specific qualitative features of dreaming.
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 36
- Metacognitive Mechanisms Underlying Lucid Dreaming Journal of Neuroscience January 21, 2015
- What about dreams? State of the art and open questions Journal of Sleep Research April 13, 2022
- Spotlight on dream recall: the ages of dreams Nature and Science of Sleep 2018
- The impact of the end of COVID confinement on pandemic dreams, as assessed by a weekly sleep diary: a longitudinal investigation in Italy. Journal of Sleep Research February 1, 2022
- Investigation on Neurobiological Mechanisms of Dreaming in the New Decade Brain Sciences February 11, 2021
and 31 more in the library
Cites 9
- Recovery sleep after sleep deprivation almost completely abolishes dream recall. Behavioural Brain Research January 20, 2010
- REM-dreams recall in patients with narcolepsy-cataplexy. Brain Research Bulletin January 15, 2010
- The expression of trace conditioning during non-REM sleep and its relation to subjective experience. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory February 28, 2009
- Spoken and written dream communication: differences and methodological aspects. Consciousness and Cognition February 19, 2008
- Rhinal-hippocampal connectivity determines memory formation during sleep. Brain January 2006
and 4 more in the library