Structural and Functional Differences in Brain Mechanisms of Dream Recall

Scarpelli, Serena; Gorgoni, Maurizio; D’Atri, Alessandro; Ferrara, Michele; Gennaro, Luigi De

doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-813743-7.00018-9

Cited by 6 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 123 publications

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“…Indeed, using retrospective questionnaires represents an important limitation of our study. In this regard, the literature points to that perspective diaries and collecting dream reports immediately after awakening are more reliable methods to obtain information on dreaming (Scarpelli et al, 2019b ). Similarly, an intrinsic limitation of the study concerning the use of a self-reported questionnaire to assess sleep patterns without the support of any objective measures (e.g., actigraphy).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dream Activity in Narcoleptic Patients During the COVID-19 Lockdown in Italy

et al. 2021

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Some studies highlighted that patients with narcolepsy type-1 (NT1) experience high lucid dream frequency, and this phenomenon has been associated with a creative personality. Starting from the well-known “pandemic effect” on sleep and dreaming, we presented a picture of dream activity in pharmacologically treated NT1 patients during the Italian lockdown. Forty-three NT1 patients completed a web-survey during Spring 2021 and were compared with 86 matched-controls. Statistical comparisons revealed that: (a) NT1 patients showed greater sleepiness than controls; (b) controls showed higher sleep disturbances than NT1 patients, and this result disappeared when the medication effect in NT1 was controlled; (c) NT1 patients reported higher lucid dream frequency than controls. Focusing on dreaming in NT1 patients, we found that (a) nightmare frequency was correlated with female gender, longer sleep duration, higher intrasleep wakefulness; (b) dream recall, nightmare and lucid dream frequency were positively correlated with sleepiness. Comparisons between low and high NT1 lucid dreamers showed that patients more frequently experiencing lucid dreams reported a greater influence of dreaming during wakefulness, especially concerning problem-solving and creativity. Overall, our results are consistent with previous studies on pandemic dreaming carried out on healthy subjects. Moreover, we confirmed a link between lucidity and creativity in NT1 patients. Considering the small sample size and the cross-sectional design, our findings cannot provide a causal relationship between lucid dreams and the COVID-19 lockdown. Nevertheless, they represent a first contribution to address future studies on this issue, suggesting that some stable characteristics could interact with changes provoked by the pandemic.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dream Activity in Narcoleptic Patients During the COVID-19 Lockdown in Italy

et al. 2021

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“…In this view, some studies started from the idea that dream recall (DR) upon awakening could be considered a peculiar form of declarative memory and, more specifically, of episodic memory [ 3 , 5 , 8 ]. PSG with provoked awakenings is the gold standard method to study DR [ 34 ]. At the beginning of the 21st century, several studies started to investigate EEG activity preceding the DR to identify specific patterns of activity that could predict the presence of dream experience [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ].…”

Section: Overview Of Current Knowledgementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, converging results provide evidence in favor of the role of mPFC in dream production and recall [ 19 ]. The frontal EEG theta power associated with DR [ 5 , 8 , 10 , 34 ] can be the expression of the involvement of mPFC in the oneiric activity.…”

Section: Overview Of Current Knowledgementioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation on Neurobiological Mechanisms of Dreaming in the New Decade

et al. 2021

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Dream research has advanced significantly over the last twenty years, thanks to the new applications of neuroimaging and electrophysiological techniques. Many findings pointed out that mental activity during sleep and wakefulness shared similar neural bases. On the other side, recent studies have highlighted that dream experience is promoted by significant brain activation, characterized by reduced low frequencies and increased rapid frequencies. Additionally, several studies confirmed that the posterior parietal area and prefrontal cortex are responsible for dream experience. Further, early results revealed that dreaming might be manipulated by sensory stimulations that would provoke the incorporation of specific cues into the dream scenario. Recently, transcranial stimulation techniques have been applied to modulate the level of consciousness during sleep, supporting previous findings and adding new information about neural correlates of dream recall. Overall, although multiple studies suggest that both the continuity and activation hypotheses provide a growing understanding of neural processes underlying dreaming, several issues are still unsolved. The impact of state-/trait-like variables, the influence of circadian and homeostatic factors, and the examination of parasomnia-like events to access dream contents are all opened issues deserving further deepening in future research.

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“…Furthermore, multiple variables affect the possibility of obtaining a dream recall, such as the method of collection, the sleep stage upon which subjects are awakened, and the macrostructural and microstructural features of the sleep interval before dream recall (for a review, see [5]).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mental Sleep Activity and Disturbing Dreams in the Lifespan

Scarpelli

Bartolacci

D’Atri

et al. 2019

IJERPH

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Sleep significantly changes across the lifespan, and several studies underline its crucial role in cognitive functioning. Similarly, mental activity during sleep tends to covary with age. This review aims to analyze the characteristics of dreaming and disturbing dreams at different age brackets. On the one hand, dreams may be considered an expression of brain maturation and cognitive development, showing relations with memory and visuo-spatial abilities. Some investigations reveal that specific electrophysiological patterns, such as frontal theta oscillations, underlie dreams during sleep, as well as episodic memories in the waking state, both in young and older adults. On the other hand, considering the role of dreaming in emotional processing and regulation, the available literature suggests that mental sleep activity could have a beneficial role when stressful events occur at different age ranges. We highlight that nightmares and bad dreams might represent an attempt to cope the adverse events, and the degrees of cognitive-brain maturation could impact on these mechanisms across the lifespan. Future investigations are necessary to clarify these relations. Clinical protocols could be designed to improve cognitive functioning and emotional regulation by modifying the dream contents or the ability to recall/non-recall them.

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Structural and Functional Differences in Brain Mechanisms of Dream Recall

Cited by 6 publications

References 123 publications

Dream Activity in Narcoleptic Patients During the COVID-19 Lockdown in Italy

Dream Activity in Narcoleptic Patients During the COVID-19 Lockdown in Italy

Investigation on Neurobiological Mechanisms of Dreaming in the New Decade

Mental Sleep Activity and Disturbing Dreams in the Lifespan

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