Visual dream content, graphical representation and EEG alpha activity in congenitally blind subjects

Bértolo, Helder; Paiva, Teresa; Pessoa, Lara; Mestre, Tiago; Marques, Raquel; Santos, Regina H. A.

doi:10.1016/s0926-6410(02)00199-4

Cited by 74 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…In fact, electro-oculography records the corneal-retinal potential, which may be absent if the retina is destroyed. Other methods, using mechanical sensors, have shown that the dreams of congenital blinds without visual reports have, after all, eye movements Our previous data 18 do support Jouvet's hypothesis about dreaming in utero. He defended dream was also a tool to preserve the species' identity and that what we call "instinct" (e.g.…”

Section: Visual Activation (And Rems) In Blind Subjectssupporting

confidence: 72%

“…Neither the Global Activity Index (GAI) nor the Visual Activity Index (VAI) showed any difference between the two groups 18 .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 88%

“…The works that consider that blind subjects do not have visual dream contents 17 , were contradicted by several studies, namely by one from our group 18 , which demonstrated that blind people do have the ability to draw their own dreams and, furthermore, showed negative correlations in the occipital area between visual content and EEG alpha power.…”

Section: Oneiric Dream Contentmentioning

confidence: 75%

“…For these reasons the recall/visual content binomial assumes a particular relevance in the dreams of blind subjects. The works that consider that blind subjects do not have visual dream contents 17 , were contradicted by several studies, namely by one from our group 18 , which demonstrated that blind people do have the ability to draw their own dreams and, furthermore, showed negative correlations in the occipital area between visual content and EEG alpha power.Additionally, favouring these results and suggesting the possibility of visual content, there are descriptions of rapid eye movements (REMs) in blind subjects, since in sighted subjects' dreams are associated with the presence of rapid eye movements 19,20,21,22,23 . However the controversy persists.…”

mentioning

confidence: 79%

“…While congenitally blind subjects exhibit lower cortical volume in both frontal areas (BA 44, 45) and visual areas (BA 17,18) 48 , compared to a control population, functional connectivity between frontal areas (parts of BA 44, 45, and 47) and occipital areas is stronger in early blind 49 .…”

Section: Visual Activation (And Rems) In Blind Subjectsmentioning

confidence: 94%

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Rapid Eye Movements (REMs) and visual dream recall in both congenitally blind and sighted subjects

Bértolo

Mestre

Barrio

et al. 2017

Third International Conference on Applications of Optics and Photonics

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Our objective was to evaluate rapid eye movements (REMs) associated with visual dream recall in sighted subjects and congenital blind. During two consecutive nights polysomnographic recordings were performed at subjects home. REMs were detected by visual inspection on both EOG channels (EOG-H, EOG-V) and further classified as occurring isolated or in bursts. Dream recall was defined by the existence of a dream report. The two groups were compared using t-test and also the two-way ANOVA and a post-hoc Fisher test (for the features diagnosis (blind vs. sighted) and dream recall (yes or no) as a function of time). The average of REM awakenings per subject and the recall ability were identical in both groups. CB had a lower REM density than CS; the same applied to REM bursts and isolated eye movements. In the two-way ANOVA, REM bursts and REM density were significantly different for positive dream recall, mainly for the CB group and for diagnosis; furthermore for both features significant results were obtained for the interaction of time, recall and diagnosis; the interaction of recall and time was however, stronger. In line with previous findings the data show that blind have lower REMs density. However the ability of dream recall in congenitally blind and sighted controls is identical. In both groups visual dream recall is associated with an increase in REM bursts and density. REM bursts also show differences in the temporal profile. REM visual dream recall is associated with increased REMs activity. 3,4,5,6,7,8 . Keywords Dream recallThe study of dreams is closely related to the ability to recall them. There are different methods to study the capacity for dream recall: the morning recall by means of brief questionnaires or dream diaries or the recall after dream interruption. Both methods, if applied to frequent dreamers, revealed consistent results 9,10 . However, this consistency does not occur in infrequent dreamers, for whom the capacity for recall is greater in provoked awakenings 10 . , although it does increase with interest, motivation, moodiness and stress 14. The capacity for dream recall is also slightly higher in women.The content of dream recall varies throughout the night. At the beginning of the night daily residues, related to every day's activity predominate, whereas later in the night hallucinatory or complex character narrative is more frequent 11 . Oneiric dream contentRecall is also positively related to the vivacity, bizarreness and emotional content of dreams, which in turn are influenced by the oneiric visual content 15 .In fact, the richness and continuity of the visual content increases the capacity for spontaneous recall 16 . For these reasons the recall/visual content binomial assumes a particular relevance in the dreams of blind subjects. The works that consider that blind subjects do not have visual dream contents 17 , were contradicted by several studies, namely by one from our group 18 , which demonstrated that blind people do have the ability to draw their own dreams and,...

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Section: Visual Activation (And Rems) In Blind Subjectssupporting

confidence: 72%

“…Neither the Global Activity Index (GAI) nor the Visual Activity Index (VAI) showed any difference between the two groups 18 .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 88%