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REM Sleep Theta Changes in Frequent Nightmare Recallers.

Louis-Philippe Marquis, Tyna Paquette, Cloé Blanchette-Carrière, Gaëlle Dumel, Tore Nielsen

Sleep September 1, 2017 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsx110 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Case-control study Peer reviewed
Sample size 33
Population 18 frequent nightmare recallers and 15 healthy control participants
Topics Dreaming
Keywords Humans Theta rhythm Case-control studies Emotions Dreams Mental recall Sleep, rem Adolescent Female Young adult Nightmares Rem sleep Parasomnias EEG Spectal Analysis
Key findings Frequent nightmare recallers showed higher slow-theta (2-5 Hz) activity than controls across wake, non-REM sleep, and REM sleep, most clearly in frontal and central derivations and in REM cycles 2-4, plus higher beta activity during non-REM sleep. The authors state this partially replicates prior findings of higher relative slow-theta (3-4 Hz) in nightmare recallers and is consistent with a neurocognitive model stipulating cross-state anomalies in emotion processing in nightmare-prone individuals.

Abstract

Study

Objectives: To replicate and expand upon past research by evaluating sleep and wake electroencephalographic spectral activity in samples of frequent nightmare (NM) recallers and healthy controls.

Methods: Computation of spectral activity for sleep (non-REM and REM) and wake electroencephalogram recordings from 18 frequent NM recallers and 15 control participants.

Results: There was higher "slow-theta" (2-5 Hz) for NM recallers than for controls during wake, non-REM sleep and REM sleep. Differences were clearest for frontal and central derivations and for REM sleep cycles 2-4. There was also higher beta activity during NREM sleep for NM recallers. Findings partially replicate past research by demonstrating higher relative "slow-theta" (3-4Hz) for NM recallers than for controls.

Conclusions: Findings are consistent with a neurocognitive model of nightmares that stipulates cross-state anomalies in emotion processing in NM-prone individuals.

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

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