Speaker
Description
Introduction:
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.
Methods:
Ten participants (5 females, mean age: 29.3 ± 3.1y) underwent two experimental nights: a SHAM (no stimulation) night and a STIMulation night during which auditory cues (pseudowords) associated with pictures belonging to specific semantic categories were presented selectively during N2 and REM sleep. Before sleep, participants performed a semantic association/recognition task, memorizing as many category-specific images as possible while learning the pseudoword-category associations. Each semantic category (Buildings, Children, Food, Mammals, Vehicles, Water) included 33 pre-validated images balanced for emotional valence and arousal. Memory performance was assessed before and after sleep. High-density EEG monitoring and serial awakenings were conducted to collect dream reports. Two independent, blinded raters evaluated on a Likert scale the degree of reference to semantic categories in 75 dream reports.
Results:
Preliminary analyses showed no significant effect of TMR on memory performance (p > 0.05). No evidence of increased cued category incorporation was found in dreams collected after TMR during either N2 or REM sleep.
Conclusions:
Our preliminary findings suggest that TMR during sleep did not enhance memory performance nor promote memory-related incorporation into dream content. However, a larger sample size is necessary to conclusively determine the effects of TMR on memory consolidation and dream incorporation.
