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Kornacka M, Skorupski MS, Krejtz I. Maladaptive task-unrelated thoughts: Self-control failure or avoidant behavior? Preliminary evidence from an experience sampling study. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1037443. [PMID: 36998626 PMCID: PMC10043255 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1037443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
IntroductionTask-unrelated thoughts (TUT) play an important role in everyday life functioning (e.g., anticipating the future, or providing a mental break). However, TUT might also be maladaptive, impairing cognitive performance emotion regulation, and increasing the risk of psychological disorders. In the present study, we aimed to test how self-reported control over TUT and task valence moderate the link between task difficulty and TUT intensity, testing the context regulation and avoidant alternative hypotheses of TUT occurrence.MethodForty-nine participants took part in an experience sampling study. They were asked to answer five times a day for 5 days a series of questions assessing the intensity, valence, control over TUT, and their momentary affect along with characteristics of the task they were currently performing. They also filled in trait questionnaires assessing their tendency to daydream, ruminate, and their beliefs on emotions' usefulness and controllability.ResultsThe results showed that both task difficulty and one's lower control over thoughts along with their interaction significantly increased TUT intensity. Task negative valence significantly predicted TUT intensity and moderated the link between task difficulty and TUT intensity. In addition, the tendency to daydream and beliefs in the controllability of negative emotions affect the relations in this model.DiscussionTo the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to provide quantitative evidence from an experience sampling study on the role of the valence of currently performed tasks and beliefs on emotions on TUT intensity. It might be an important indication for research and clinical practice that maladaptive TUT might not be only linked to self-control failure but also to emotion regulation strategies one is using.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Kornacka
- Emotion Cognition Lab, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Katowice, Poland
- *Correspondence: Monika Kornacka
| | - Michał S. Skorupski
- Emotion Cognition Lab, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Katowice, Poland
| | - Izabela Krejtz
- Insitute of Psychology, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland
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Aru J, Siclari F, Phillips WA, Storm JF. Apical drive-A cellular mechanism of dreaming? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 119:440-455. [PMID: 33002561 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Dreams are internally generated experiences that occur independently of current sensory input. Here we argue, based on cortical anatomy and function, that dream experiences are tightly related to the workings of a specific part of cortical pyramidal neurons, the apical integration zone (AIZ). The AIZ receives and processes contextual information from diverse sources and could constitute a major switch point for transitioning from externally to internally generated experiences such as dreams. We propose that during dreams the output of certain pyramidal neurons is mainly driven by input into the AIZ. We call this mode of functioning "apical drive". Our hypothesis is based on the evidence that the cholinergic and adrenergic arousal systems, which show different dynamics between waking, slow wave sleep, and rapid eye movement sleep, have specific effects on the AIZ. We suggest that apical drive may also contribute to waking experiences, such as mental imagery. Future studies, investigating the different modes of apical function and their regulation during sleep and wakefulness are likely to be richly rewarded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaan Aru
- Institute of Computer Science, University of Tartu, Estonia; Institute of Biology, Humboldt University Berlin, Germany.
| | - Francesca Siclari
- Center for Investigation and Research on Sleep, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland; Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland; Faculty of Natural Sciences, Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom.
| | - William A Phillips
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom.
| | - Johan F Storm
- Brain Signalling Group, Section for Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Domus Medica, University of Oslo, PB 1104 Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway.
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Eichenlaub JB, van Rijn E, Gaskell MG, Lewis PA, Maby E, Malinowski JE, Walker MP, Boy F, Blagrove M. Incorporation of recent waking-life experiences in dreams correlates with frontal theta activity in REM sleep. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2019; 13:637-647. [PMID: 29868897 PMCID: PMC6022568 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsy041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2017] [Accepted: 05/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and its main oscillatory feature, frontal theta, have been related to the processing of recent emotional memories. As memories constitute much of the source material for our dreams, we explored the link between REM frontal theta and the memory sources of dreaming, so as to elucidate the brain activities behind the formation of dream content. Twenty participants were woken for dream reports in REM and slow wave sleep (SWS) while monitored using electroencephalography. Eighteen participants reported at least one REM dream and 14 at least one SWS dream, and they, and independent judges, subsequently compared their dream reports with log records of their previous daily experiences. The number of references to recent waking-life experiences in REM dreams was positively correlated with frontal theta activity in the REM sleep period. No such correlation was observed for older memories, nor for SWS dreams. The emotional intensity of recent waking-life experiences incorporated into dreams was higher than the emotional intensity of experiences that were not incorporated. These results suggest that the formation of wakefulness-related dream content is associated with REM theta activity, and accords with theories that dreaming reflects emotional memory processing taking place in REM sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Penelope A Lewis
- School of Psychological Science, Manchester University, Manchester, UK
| | - Emmanuel Maby
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, INSERM, CNRS, University of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | | | - Matthew P Walker
- Sleep and Neuroimaging Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Frederic Boy
- Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Mark Blagrove
- Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
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Fogel SM, Ray LB, Sergeeva V, De Koninck J, Owen AM. A Novel Approach to Dream Content Analysis Reveals Links Between Learning-Related Dream Incorporation and Cognitive Abilities. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1398. [PMID: 30127760 PMCID: PMC6088287 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Can dreams reveal insight into our cognitive abilities and aptitudes (i.e., "human intelligence")? The relationship between dream production and trait-like cognitive abilities is the foundation of several long-standing theories on the neurocognitive and cognitive-psychological basis of dreaming. However, direct experimental evidence is sparse and remains contentious. On the other hand, recent research has provided compelling evidence demonstrating a link between dream content and new learning, suggesting that dreams reflect memory processing during sleep. It remains to be investigated whether the extent of learning-related dream incorporation (i.e., the semantic similarity between waking experiences and dream content) is related to inter-individual differences in cognitive abilities. The relationship between pre-post sleep memory performance improvements and learning-related dream incorporation was investigated (N = 24) to determine if this relationship could be explained by inter-individual differences in intellectual abilities (e.g., reasoning, short term memory (STM), and verbal abilities). The extent of dream incorporation using a novel and objective method of dream content analysis, employed a computational linguistic approach to measure the semantic relatedness between verbal reports describing the experience on a spatial (e.g., maze navigation) or a motor memory task (e.g., tennis simulator) with subsequent hypnagogic reverie dream reports and waking "daydream" reports, obtained during a daytime nap opportunity. Consistent with previous studies, the extent to which something new was learned was related (r = 0.47) to how richly these novel experiences were incorporated into the content of dreams. This was significant for early (the first 4 dream reports) but not late dreams (the last 4 dream reports). Notably, here, we show for the first time that the extent of this incorporation for early dreams was related (r = 0.41) to inter-individual differences in reasoning abilities. On the other hand, late dream incorporation was related (r = 0.46) to inter-individual differences in verbal abilities. There was no relationship between performance improvements and intellectual abilities, and thus, inter-individual differences in cognitive abilities did not mediate the relationship between performance improvements and dream incorporation; suggesting a direct relationship between reasoning abilities and dream incorporation. This study provides the first evidence that learning-related dream production is related to inter-individual differences in cognitive abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart M. Fogel
- The Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- The Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Laura B. Ray
- The Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Valya Sergeeva
- The Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Joseph De Koninck
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- The Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Adrian M. Owen
- The Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, London, ON, Canada
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Eichenlaub JB, van Rijn E, Phelan M, Ryder L, Gaskell MG, Lewis PA, P Walker M, Blagrove M. The nature of delayed dream incorporation ('dream-lag effect'): Personally significant events persist, but not major daily activities or concerns. J Sleep Res 2018; 28:e12697. [PMID: 29682834 PMCID: PMC6849581 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.12697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Revised: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Incorporation of details from waking life events into rapid eye movement (REM) sleep dreams has been found to be highest on the 2 nights after, and then 5–7 nights after, the event. These are termed, respectively, the day‐residue and dream‐lag effects. This study is the first to categorize types of waking life experiences and compare their incorporation into dreams across multiple successive nights. Thirty‐eight participants completed a daily diary each evening and a dream diary each morning for 14 days. In the daily diary, three categories of experiences were reported: major daily activities (MDAs), personally significant events (PSEs) and major concerns (MCs). After the 14‐day period each participant identified the correspondence between items in their daily diaries and subsequent dream reports. The day‐residue and dream‐lag effects were found for the incorporation of PSEs into dreams (effect sizes of .33 and .27, respectively), but only for participants (n = 19) who had a below‐median total number of correspondences between daily diary items and dream reports (termed “low‐incorporators” as opposed to “high‐incorporators”). Neither the day‐residue or dream‐lag effects were found for MDAs or MCs. This U‐shaped timescale of incorporation of events from daily life into dreams has been proposed to reflect REM sleep‐dependent memory consolidation, possibly related to emotional memory processing. This study had a larger sample size of dreams than any dream‐lag study hitherto with trained participants. Coupled with previous successful replications, there is thus substantial evidence supporting the dream‐lag effect and further explorations of its mechanism, including its neural underpinnings, are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elaine van Rijn
- Swansea University Sleep Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Mairéad Phelan
- Swansea University Sleep Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Larnia Ryder
- Swansea University Sleep Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - M Gareth Gaskell
- Sleep, Language and Memory Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of York, York, UK
| | - Penelope A Lewis
- School of Psychology and Cardiff University Brain Imaging Centre, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Matthew P Walker
- Center for Human Sleep Science, Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Mark Blagrove
- Swansea University Sleep Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
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