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Carbone J, Diekelmann S. An update on recent advances in targeted memory reactivation during sleep. NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2024; 9:31. [PMID: 38622159 PMCID: PMC11018807 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-024-00244-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Targeted Memory Reactivation (TMR) is a noninvasive tool to manipulate memory consolidation during sleep. TMR builds on the brain's natural processes of memory reactivation during sleep and aims to facilitate or bias these processes in a certain direction. The basis of this technique is the association of learning content with sensory cues, such as odors or sounds, that are presented during subsequent sleep to promote memory reactivation. Research on TMR has drastically increased over the last decade with rapid developments. The aim of the present review is to highlight the most recent advances of this research. We focus on effects of TMR on the strengthening of memories in the declarative, procedural and emotional memory domain as well as on ways in which TMR can be used to promote forgetting. We then discuss advanced technical approaches to determine the optimal timing of TMR within the ongoing oscillatory activity of the sleeping brain as well as the specificity of TMR for certain memory contents. We further highlight the specific effects of TMR during REM sleep and in influencing dream content. Finally, we discuss recent evidence for potential applications of TMR for mental health, educational purposes and in the home setting. In conclusion, the last years of research have provided substantial advances in TMR that can guide future endeavors in research and application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Carbone
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
- Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, International Max Planck Research School, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Susanne Diekelmann
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Tübingen, 72070, Tübingen, Germany.
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Salvesen L, Capriglia E, Dresler M, Bernardi G. Influencing dreams through sensory stimulation: A systematic review. Sleep Med Rev 2024; 74:101908. [PMID: 38417380 PMCID: PMC11009489 DOI: 10.1016/j.smrv.2024.101908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
Sleep is typically considered a state of disconnection from the environment, yet instances of external sensory stimuli influencing dreams have been reported for centuries. Explaining this phenomenon could provide valuable insight into dreams' generative and functional mechanisms, the factors that promote sleep continuity, and the processes that underlie conscious awareness. Moreover, harnessing sensory stimuli for dream engineering could benefit individuals suffering from dream-related alterations. This PRISMA-compliant systematic review assessed the current evidence concerning the influence of sensory stimulation on sleep mentation. We included 51 publications, of which 21 focused on auditory stimulation, ten on somatosensory stimulation, eight on olfactory stimulation, four on visual stimulation, two on vestibular stimulation, and one on multimodal stimulation. Furthermore, nine references explored conditioned associative stimulation: six focused on targeted memory reactivation protocols and three on targeted lucid reactivation protocols. The reported frequency of stimulus-dependent dream changes across studies ranged from 0 to ∼80%, likely reflecting a considerable heterogeneity of definitions and methodological approaches. Our findings highlight a lack of comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms, functions, and neurophysiological correlates of stimulus-dependent dream changes. We suggest that a paradigm shift is required for meaningful progress in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Salvesen
- Sleep, Plasticity, and Conscious Experience Group, MoMiLab Research Unit, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Lucca, Italy; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Elena Capriglia
- Sleep, Plasticity, and Conscious Experience Group, MoMiLab Research Unit, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Lucca, Italy; Department of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Martin Dresler
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Giulio Bernardi
- Sleep, Plasticity, and Conscious Experience Group, MoMiLab Research Unit, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Lucca, Italy.
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Goldsworthy A, Chawla J, Birt J, Baumann O, Gough S. Use of extended reality in sleep health, medicine, and research: a scoping review. Sleep 2023; 46:zsad201. [PMID: 37498981 PMCID: PMC10636250 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsad201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVES This scoping review explores the use of extended reality (virtual, augmented, and mixed reality) within sleep health, sleep medicine, and sleep research. It aims to provide insight into current uses and implementation considerations whilst highlighting directions for future research. METHODS A systematic scoping review was undertaken informed by the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses for scoping reviews and Johanna Briggs Institute. RESULTS The use of virtual reality (VR) as a research tool in the investigation of areas such as dreaming and memory reactivation is growing. Thirty-one articles were identified in total with 20 utilizing VR to improve sleep as a clinical intervention. CONCLUSIONS Research exploring the utility of VR as a clinical intervention in various patient populations and clinical settings is therefore warranted. Researchers and clinicians should ensure that extended reality interventions are developed based on clinical reasoning and informed by evidence of both sleep medicine and the effects of virtual and augmented reality. Where possible future research should utilize up-to-date technology and reporting frameworks to assist in the translation of research into clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Goldsworthy
- Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Jasneek Chawla
- Child Health Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, South Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Department of Paediatric Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Queensland Children’s Hospital, South Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - James Birt
- Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Oliver Baumann
- Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Suzanne Gough
- Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
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Konkoly KR, Picard-Deland C, Morris D, Mallett R. Dreaming outside the Box: Evidence for Memory Abstraction in REM Sleep. J Neurosci 2023; 43:6952-6953. [PMID: 37852785 PMCID: PMC10586531 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1374-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Karen R Konkoly
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208
| | - Claudia Picard-Deland
- Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, H4J 1C5, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Daniel Morris
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208
| | - Remington Mallett
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208
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Antony JW, Schechtman E. Reap while you sleep: Consolidation of memories differs by how they were sown. Hippocampus 2023; 33:922-935. [PMID: 36973868 PMCID: PMC10429120 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Newly formed memories are spontaneously reactivated during sleep, leading to their strengthening. This reactivation process can be manipulated by reinstating learning-related stimuli during sleep, a technique termed targeted memory reactivation. Numerous studies have found that delivering cues during sleep improves memory for simple associations, in which one cue reactivates one tested memory. However, real-life memories often live in rich, complex networks of associations. In this review, we will examine recent forays into investigating how targeted sleep reactivation affects memories within complex paradigms, in which one cue can reactivate multiple tested memories. A common theme across studies is that reactivation consequences do not merely depend on whether memories reside in complex arrangements, but on how memories interact with one another during acquisition. We therefore emphasize how intricate study design details that alter the nature of learning and/or participant intentions impact the outcomes of sleep reactivation. In some cases, complex networks of memories interact harmoniously to bring about mutual memory benefits; in other cases, memories interact antagonistically and produce selective impairments in retrieval. Ultimately, although this burgeoning area of research has yet to be systematically explored, results suggest that the fate of reactivated stimuli within complex arrangements depends on how they were learned.
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Affiliation(s)
- James W. Antony
- Department of Psychology and Child Development, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California, USA
| | - Eitan Schechtman
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
- Center for Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
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Horowitz AH, Esfahany K, Gálvez TV, Maes P, Stickgold R. Targeted dream incubation at sleep onset increases post-sleep creative performance. Sci Rep 2023; 13:7319. [PMID: 37188795 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31361-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The link between dreams and creativity has been a topic of intense speculation. Recent scientific findings suggest that sleep onset (known as N1) may be an ideal brain state for creative ideation. However, the specific link between N1 dream content and creativity has remained unclear. To investigate the contribution of N1 dream content to creative performance, we administered targeted dream incubation (a protocol that presents auditory cues at sleep onset to introduce specific themes into dreams) and collected dream reports to measure incorporation of the selected theme into dream content. We then assessed creative performance using a set of three theme-related creativity tasks. Our findings show enhanced creative performance and greater semantic distance in task responses following a period of N1 sleep as compared to wake, corroborating recent work identifying N1 as a creative sweet spot and offering novel evidence for N1 enabling a cognitive state with greater associative divergence. We further demonstrate that successful N1 dream incubation enhances creative performance more than N1 sleep alone. To our knowledge, this is the first controlled experiment investigating a direct role of incubating dream content in the enhancement of creative performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Haar Horowitz
- MIT Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
- Center for Sleep and Cognition and Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Kathleen Esfahany
- MIT Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
| | - Tomás Vega Gálvez
- MIT Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Pattie Maes
- MIT Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
| | - Robert Stickgold
- Center for Sleep and Cognition and Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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Picard-Deland C, Konkoly K, Raider R, Paller KA, Nielsen T, Pigeon WR, Carr M. The memory sources of dreams: serial awakenings across sleep stages and time of night. Sleep 2023; 46:zsac292. [PMID: 36462190 PMCID: PMC10091095 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsac292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Memories of waking-life events are incorporated into dreams, but their incorporation is not uniform across a night of sleep. This study aimed to elucidate ways in which such memory sources vary by sleep stage and time of night. Twenty healthy participants (11 F; 24.1 ± 5.7 years) spent a night in the laboratory and were awakened for dream collection approximately 12 times spread across early, middle, and late periods of sleep, while covering all stages of sleep (N1, N2, N3, REM). In the morning, participants identified and dated associated memories of waking-life events for each dream report, when possible. The incorporation of recent memory sources in dreams was more frequent in N1 and REM than in other sleep stages. The incorporation of distant memories from over a week ago, semantic memories not traceable to a single event, and anticipated future events remained stable throughout sleep. In contrast, the relative proportions of recent versus distant memory sources changed across the night, independently of sleep stage, with late-night dreams in all stages having relatively less recent and more remote memory sources than dreams earlier in the night. Qualitatively, dreams tended to repeat similar themes across the night and in different sleep stages. The present findings clarify the temporal course of memory incorporations in dreams, highlighting a specific connection between time of night and the temporal remoteness of memories. We discuss how dream content may, at least in part, reflect the mechanisms of sleep-dependent memory consolidation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Karen Konkoly
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Rachel Raider
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Ken A Paller
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Tore Nielsen
- Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Wilfred R Pigeon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Michelle Carr
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
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Simor P, Peigneux P, Bódizs R. Sleep and dreaming in the light of reactive and predictive homeostasis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 147:105104. [PMID: 36804397 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
Dreams are often viewed as fascinating but irrelevant mental epihenomena of the sleeping mind with questionable functional relevance. Despite long hours of oneiric activity, and high individual differences in dream recall, dreams are lost into oblivion. Here, we conceptualize dreaming and dream amnesia as inherent aspects of the reactive and predictive homeostatic functions of sleep. Mental activity during sleep conforms to the interplay of restorative processes and future anticipation, and particularly during the second half of the night, it unfolds as a special form of non-constrained, self-referent, and future-oriented cognitive process. Awakening facilitates constrained, goal-directed prospection that competes for shared neural resources with dream production and dream recall, and contributes to dream amnesia. We present the neurophysiological aspects of reactive and predictive homeostasis during sleep, highlighting the putative role of cortisol in predictive homeostasis and forgetting dreams. The theoretical and methodological aspects of our proposal are discussed in relation to the study of dreaming, dream recall, and sleep-related cognitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Péter Simor
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; UR2NF, Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Research Unit at CRCN - Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences and UNI - ULB Neurosciences Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Philippe Peigneux
- UR2NF, Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Research Unit at CRCN - Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences and UNI - ULB Neurosciences Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Róbert Bódizs
- Institute of Behavioural Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
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Hoedlmoser K, Peigneux P, Rauchs G. Recent advances in memory consolidation and information processing during sleep. J Sleep Res 2022; 31:e13607. [DOI: 10.1111/jsr.13607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Hoedlmoser
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience (CCNS), Laboratory for “Sleep, Cognition and Consciousness Research” University of Salzburg Salzburg Austria
| | - Philippe Peigneux
- UR2NF – Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Research Unit affiliated at CRCN – Centre for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences and UNI – ULB Neuroscience Institute Bruxelles Belgium
| | - Géraldine Rauchs
- UNICAEN, INSERM, U1237, PhIND “Physiopathology and Imaging of Neurological Disorders”, Institut Blood and Brain @ Caen‐Normandie Normandie Univ Caen France
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Ma Y, Feng X, Wang D, Zhao X, Yan Z, Bao Y, Zhu R, Sun Q, Deng J, Lu L, Sun H. Adverse Childhood Experiences Are Associated With Adult Dream Content: A Cross-Sectional Survey. Front Psychol 2022; 13:837347. [PMID: 35465536 PMCID: PMC9029163 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.837347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BackgroundDreams can be affected by recent life events and long-term life experiences. Previous evidence has shown that childhood adverse experiences are associated with sleep quality and dream experiences.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to explore the relationship between childhood adverse experiences and dream content in adults.Participants and SettingA total of 163 participants without current or past physical or mental disorders aged between 18 and 35 were screened in the hospital. Among them, 120 subjects who completed a dream content record at home and whose anxiety and depression levels and sleep quality were within the normal range were included in the data analysis.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted from June 2017 to December 2019. Dream content for 10 consecutive days was recorded by the participants and coded by the Hall and Van de Castle coding system. Childhood adversity was assessed by the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). In the end, 719 dreams out of 626 nights for 120 participants (44 female) were included in the data analysis, gender differences between groups were analyzed using t-tests or U tests, and Spearman’s partial correlation and multiple linear regression were used to investigate the relationship between childhood trauma and dream content.ResultsChildhood adversity was associated with characters, friendly interactions, and objects in dream content. Regression models of childhood adversity predicting characters and objects in dream content were constructed. There were no gender differences in general demographic data, sleep quality, emotional state, childhood adversity, dream recall frequency, or dream content.ConclusionChildhood adversity is associated with adult dream content.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yundong Ma
- NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), Peking University Sixth Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China
| | - Xia Feng
- The Second People’s Hospital of Guizhou Province, Guiyang, China
| | - Di Wang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), Peking University Sixth Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China
- Beijing Changping Hospital of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoxia Zhao
- NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), Peking University Sixth Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China
| | - Zejun Yan
- School of Biomedical Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Yanping Bao
- National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China
- School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Ran Zhu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), Peking University Sixth Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China
| | - Qiqing Sun
- NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), Peking University Sixth Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China
| | - Jiahui Deng
- NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), Peking University Sixth Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Jiahui Deng,
| | - Lin Lu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), Peking University Sixth Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China
- National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences and PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Lin Lu,
| | - Hongqiang Sun
- NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), Peking University Sixth Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China
- Hongqiang Sun,
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Picard-Deland C, Aumont T, Samson-Richer A, Paquette T, Nielsen T. Whole-body procedural learning benefits from targeted memory reactivation in REM sleep and task-related dreaming. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2021; 183:107460. [PMID: 34015442 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Sleep facilitates memory consolidation through offline reactivations of memory traces. Dreaming may play a role in memory improvement and may reflect these memory reactivations. To experimentally address this question, we used targeted memory reactivation (TMR), i.e., application, during sleep, of a stimulus that was previously associated with learning, to assess whether it influences task-related dream imagery (or task-dream reactivations). Specifically, we asked if TMR or task-dream reactivations in either slow-wave (SWS) or rapid eye movement (REM) sleep benefit whole-body procedural learning. Healthy participants completed a virtual reality (VR) flying task prior to and following a morning nap or rest period during which task-associated tones were readministered in either SWS, REM sleep, wake or not at all. Findings indicate that learning benefits most from TMR when applied in REM sleep compared to a Control-sleep group. REM dreams that reactivated kinesthetic elements of the VR task (e.g., flying, accelerating) were also associated with higher improvement on the task than were dreams that reactivated visual elements (e.g., landscapes) or that had no reactivations. TMR did not itself influence dream content but its effects on performance were greater when coexisting with task-dream reactivations in REM sleep. Findings may help explain the mechanistic relationships between dream and memory reactivations and may contribute to the development of sleep-based methods to optimize complex skill learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Picard-Deland
- Dream & Nightmare Laboratory, Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, CIUSSS-NÎM - Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Québec, Canada; Department of Neuroscience, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Tomy Aumont
- Dream & Nightmare Laboratory, Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, CIUSSS-NÎM - Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Québec, Canada; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Arnaud Samson-Richer
- Dream & Nightmare Laboratory, Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, CIUSSS-NÎM - Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Tyna Paquette
- Dream & Nightmare Laboratory, Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, CIUSSS-NÎM - Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Tore Nielsen
- Dream & Nightmare Laboratory, Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, CIUSSS-NÎM - Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Québec, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
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