Dreaming: a neurological view
Matthias Bischof, Philipp O. Valko, Claudio L. Bassetti
Schweizer Archiv für Neurologie und Psychiatrie December 7, 2005 DOI: 10.4414/sanp.2005.01658 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Citations | 5 |
| Key findings | The authors argue that dreaming arises from activation of brainstem, thalamo-limbic, and medial temporo-occipital areas with inactivation of dorsolateral prefrontal areas, and that dream abnormalities in neurological disorders - including reduced or absent dreaming, increased dream frequency, altered content, REM sleep behaviour disorder, and wake-time hallucinations - remain poorly studied. They contend that assessing these changes has diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic significance and can cause distress for patients and their bed partners. |
Abstract
Dreaming is the mental activity of REM (and less commonly NREM) sleep.It is characterised by a perception of self, inner and outer world that is distinct from that of wakefulness.Neurophysiological and neuroimaging studies suggest that dreaming arises from activation of brainstem, thalamo-limbic and medial temporo-occipital areas and inactivation of dorsolateral prefrontal areas.Dream abnormalities in neurological disorders have poorly been studied.They include a reduction/cessation of dreaming (Charcot-Wilbrand syndrome), an increase in dream frequency, changes in dream contents and accompaniments (including REM sleep behaviour disorder) and the occurrence of dream-like experiences (hallucinations) during wakefulness and wake-sleep/sleep-wake transitions.Dream changes in association with neurological conditions including primary sleep disorders (e.g.narcolepsy, REM sleep behaviour disorder [RBD], nightmares), stroke and Parkinson's syndrome are reviewed.Assessment of altered dreaming and dreamlike experiences can be of clinical significance because of their diagnostic and therapeutic implications (RBD, hallucinations), prognostic significance (hallucinations) and distress that they can have for patients and their bed partners (e.g.nightmares, hallucinations, RBD).In addition, systematic studies of dream and dream-like experiences are expected to offer unique insights into the brain, mind and emotions of neurological patients.
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 2
Cites 14
- Out‐of‐body experience and autoscopy of neurological origin Brain January 15, 2004
- Dream Recall in Patients With Focal Cerebral Lesions Archives of Neurology February 1, 1984
- Dream Recall: State or Trait Variable? Part II: State Factors, Investigations and Final Conclusions Imagination, Cognition and Personality March 1, 1997
- Experiences of Phantom Limb Sensations in Dreams Psychopathology February 9, 2010
- Rhinal-hippocampal connectivity determines memory formation during sleep. Brain January 2006
and 9 more in the library