EEG microstates of dreams
Scientific Reports October 13, 2020 Lucie Bréchet, Denis Brunet, Lampros Perogamvros et al. 92 citations
During non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, brief brain states lasting less than a second, called EEG microstates, determine whether a person will recall a dream upon waking. Two microstates (3 and 4) dominated NREM sleep compared to wakefulness. Within NREM sleep, microstate 3 was more present before dream recall, while microstate 4 was less present. Microstate 3 involved the medial frontal lobe, suggesting deeper local deactivation and executive disconnection that keeps the brain asleep. Microstate 4 involved the occipital cortex, thalamus, and brainstem, and its reduced presence may indicate local activation enabling rich perceptual dream content. The temporal dynamics of these alternating brain states determine whether conscious experience arises during NREM sleep.