Quantitative and Comparative Analysis of Dream Content in Parkinson's Disease Patients Undergoing Deep Brain Stimulation: A Pilot Study.
Holger Joswig, Sarvar Oreizi-Esfahani, Svenja Medack, Uwe Träger, Michael D Staudt
World neurosurgery March 2026 DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2026.124816 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Prospective pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 10 |
| Population | Parkinson's disease patients undergoing bilateral subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation |
| Intervention | Deep brain stimulation |
| Duration | 6-month post-DBS follow-up |
| Measures | Hall/Van de Castle System |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Keywords | Aggression Deep brain stimulation Dreams Emotion Parkinson's disease Sleep |
| Key points | DBS improved quality of life and symptom severity but did not significantly change sleep quality, dream frequency, or nightmare frequency. Dream content changed significantly: Aggressor and Negative Emotions themes reversed, and Befriender, Physical Aggression, Familiar Setting, and Dreamer-Involved Success themes increased (P < 0.01), while Failure themes decreased (P < 0.05). The authors suggest DBS may influence or reverse Parkinson's-altered dream content. |
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, resulting in motor and nonmotor symptoms including diminished sleep quality and altered dream content. The neurocircuitry underlying the latter remain poorly understood. The goal of this study is to assess the influence of deep brain stimulation (DBS) on sleep quality and, for the first time, dream characteristics. Ten PD patients undergoing bilateral DBS of the subthalamic nucleus prospectively completed questionnaires evaluating PD parameters, sleep quality, dream/nightmare frequency and content, preoperatively and 6-month post-DBS recovery. Participant quality of life and symptom severity improved following DBS. Participants reported sleeping for 5.8 hours per night, with an average of 3.2 interruptions per night, which did not change significantly after surgery. Prior to surgery, participants reported symptoms of rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, with no difference in sleep quality after DBS. Dream and nightmare frequency did not change significantly following DBS. Dream content was coded and analyzed using the Hall/Van de Castle System demonstrating a significant reversal of dream content featuring Aggressor and Negative Emotions (P < 0.01) and an increase in themes of Befriender, Physical Aggression, Familiar Setting, and Dreamer-Involved Success (P < 0.01). When analyzing dreams with a least one, a significant decrease was found for Failure (P < 0.05). This pilot study provides novel insights into the effects of DBS on dream content in PD patients. DBS may influence and even reverse PD-altered dream content potentially through modulation of brain networks involved in dream generation.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A combined group treatment for nightmares and insomnia in combat veterans: A pilot study Combat veterans with PTSD | 2009 | Open clinical trial | n = 10 |
| Cognitions in Sleep: Lucid Dreaming as an Intervention for Nightmares in Patients With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Patients suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | 2020 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Managing Insomnia Using Lucid Dreaming Training: A Pilot Study. Adults with Insomnia Disorder | 2021 | Open-label trial | n = 48 |
| Dream content and political ideology. U.S. adults who identified as members of the political right or political left (28 per... | 2002 | Pilot study | n = 56 |
| Imagery rehearsal therapy for the treatment of nightmares in individuals with borderline personality disorder – A pilot study Individuals with borderline personality disorder | 2024 | Between-subjects design, pilot study | n = 44 |
Citations in the library
Cites 7
- Dream Content Predicts Motor and Cognitive Decline in Parkinson's Disease. Movement Disorders Clinical Practice August 9, 2021
- Do dreams tell the future? Dream content as a predictor of cognitive deterioration in Parkinson’s disease Journal of Sleep Research August 9, 2020
- The Functional Role of Dreaming in Emotional Processes. Frontiers in Psychology 2019
- Dopaminergic system and dream recall: An MRI study in Parkinson's disease patients. Human Brain Mapping March 1, 2016
- Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder: a window on the emotional world of Parkinson disease. Sleep February 1, 2015
and 2 more in the library