Amani Meaidi1, Poul Jennum2, Maurice Ptito3, Ron Kupers4. 1. BRAINlab, Department of Neuroscience & Pharmacology, Panum Institute, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Danish Center for Sleep Medicine, Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Faculty of Health, Glostrup Hospital, Glostrup, Denmark. 2. Danish Center for Sleep Medicine, Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Faculty of Health, Glostrup Hospital, Glostrup, Denmark. 3. BRAINlab, Department of Neuroscience & Pharmacology, Panum Institute, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience & Pharmacology, Panum Institute, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. 4. BRAINlab, Department of Neuroscience & Pharmacology, Panum Institute, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience & Pharmacology, Panum Institute, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Electronic address: kupers@sund.ku.dk.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess dream content in groups of congenitally blind (CB), late blind (LB), and age- and sex-matched sighted control (SC) participants. METHODS: We conducted an observational study of 11 CB, 14 LB, and 25 SC participants and collected dream reports over a 4-week period. Every morning participants filled in a questionnaire related to the sensory construction of the dream, its emotional and thematic content, and the possible occurrence of nightmares. We also assessed participants' ability of visual imagery during waking cognition, sleep quality, and depression and anxiety levels. RESULTS: All blind participants had fewer visual dream impressions compared to SC participants. In LB participants, duration of blindness was negatively correlated with duration, clarity, and color content of visual dream impressions. CB participants reported more auditory, tactile, gustatory, and olfactory dream components compared to SC participants. In contrast, LB participants only reported more tactile dream impressions. Blind and SC participants did not differ with respect to emotional and thematic dream content. However, CB participants reported more aggressive interactions and more nightmares compared to the other two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that blindness considerably alters the sensory composition of dreams and that onset and duration of blindness plays an important role. The increased occurrence of nightmares in CB participants may be related to a higher number of threatening experiences in daily life in this group.
OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess dream content in groups of congenitally blind (CB), late blind (LB), and age- and sex-matched sighted control (SC) participants. METHODS: We conducted an observational study of 11 CB, 14 LB, and 25 SC participants and collected dream reports over a 4-week period. Every morning participants filled in a questionnaire related to the sensory construction of the dream, its emotional and thematic content, and the possible occurrence of nightmares. We also assessed participants' ability of visual imagery during waking cognition, sleep quality, and depression and anxiety levels. RESULTS: All blind participants had fewer visual dream impressions compared to SC participants. In LB participants, duration of blindness was negatively correlated with duration, clarity, and color content of visual dream impressions. CB participants reported more auditory, tactile, gustatory, and olfactory dream components compared to SC participants. In contrast, LB participants only reported more tactile dream impressions. Blind and SC participants did not differ with respect to emotional and thematic dream content. However, CB participants reported more aggressive interactions and more nightmares compared to the other two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that blindness considerably alters the sensory composition of dreams and that onset and duration of blindness plays an important role. The increased occurrence of nightmares in CB participants may be related to a higher number of threatening experiences in daily life in this group.
Authors: Maxime Bleau; Samuel Paré; Ismaël Djerourou; Daniel R Chebat; Ron Kupers; Maurice Ptito Journal: Sensors (Basel) Date: 2021-04-12 Impact factor: 3.576