Memory reactivation during sleep to modulate dream content and assess its role in memory and emotional processing
Bianca Pedreschi, Ruggero Basanisi, Valentina Elce, Giorgia Mosca, Leila Salvesen, Giulio Bernardi, Sarah Fiona Schoch, Martin Dresler, Tommaso Maccario
Open Science Framework November 6, 2025 preprint DOI: 10.17605/osf.io/3ygta (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Preregistered experimental protocol (within-subject, randomized order) |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 45 |
| Population | Healthy adults |
| Duration | Three overnight visits: one adaptation night and two experimental nights |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Key findings | Proposes to test whether targeted memory reactivation during NREM and REM sleep modulates dream content and improves overnight retention of pseudoword–picture associations, and whether incorporation of learned material into dreams is associated with overnight memory changes. No confirmatory results are reported; data collection is ongoing with 19 of 45 participants completed. |
Abstract
Dreams have been proposed as a window into sleep-related memory consolidation and integration processes. In this study, we investigate the interplay between sleep, memory consolidation, and dream content using targeted memory reactivation (TMR), a method that delivers sensory cues during sleep to influence memory processing. The experimental protocol includes high-density EEG recordings, a serial awakening paradigm, and behavioral assessments before and after sleep. The study involves 45 healthy adults and aims to clarify the relationship between dream content, memory processing, and sleep-related neural activity. Participants take part in three overnight visits at the sleep laboratory. The first night serve as an adaptation session to familiarize participants with the environment. The two subsequent experimental nights occur in randomized order. Before sleep on each experimental night, participants complete a pseudoword–picture association task using one of two sets of 99 pictures (different sets per night). Each set contains three of six possible categories (e.g., landscapes, food, vehicles, animals, children, houses), with valence balanced across positive, neutral, and negative images. Each category is paired with a distinct pseudoword selected for distinctiveness, familiarity, and emotional neutrality. During sleep, TMR will be applied: one category’s cue will be presented during NREM sleep, one during REM sleep, one will serve as a non-reactivated control. After each awakening, participants provide dream reports describing experiences immediately before awakening. Memory performance and emotional evaluation are assessed through pre-sleep and post-sleep recall tests. During these tests, only the sensory cues (pseudowords) are presented, and participants must try to recall associated pictures and rate their emotional valence. Pre-sleep performance serves as a baseline for measuring overnight memory changes. The data will be analyzed to determine whether memory reactivation during sleep modulates dream content, whether TMR enhances memory retention, and whether the incorporation of learned material into dreams is associated with overnight changes in memory performance. Status of data collection (transparency statement): This preregistration was created after data collection began. As of submission, 19/45 participants have completed the protocol. Limited exploratory, integrity-check only summaries (e.g., transcription quality, basic distributions, rater agreement) were conducted on a subset of the data and did not involve any confirmatory contrasts or model fitting for preregistered outcomes. All confirmatory analyses specified below will be applied to the full dataset. Any analyses not listed here will be labeled exploratory.