title: Neural correlates of dream lucidity obtained from contrasting lucid versus non-lucid REM sleep: a combined EEG/fMRI case study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the neural correlates of lucid dreaming.
  
  
  METHODS
  Parallel EEG/fMRI recordings of night sleep.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sleep laboratory and fMRI facilities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four experienced lucid dreamers.
  
  
  METHODS
  N/A.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 4 participants, one subject had 2 episodes of verified lucid REM sleep of sufficient length to be analyzed by fMRI. During lucid dreaming the bilateral precuneus, cuneus, parietal lobules, and prefrontal and occipito-temporal cortices activated strongly as compared with non-lucid REM sleep.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In line with recent EEG data, lucid dreaming was associated with a reactivation of areas which are normally deactivated during REM sleep. This pattern of activity can explain the recovery of reflective cognitive capabilities that are the hallmark of lucid dreaming.
authors: Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Dresler
authors: Renate
authors: R
authors: Wehrle
authors: Victor I
authors: VI
authors: Spoormaker
authors: Stefan P
authors: SP
authors: Koch
authors: Florian
authors: F
authors: Holsboer
authors: Axel
authors: A
authors: Steiger
authors: Hellmuth
authors: H
authors: Obrig
authors: Philipp G
authors: PG
authors: Sämann
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Czisch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D004325:Dreams / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D059907:Functional Neuroimaging; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D017286:Polysomnography; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000502:physiology*