REM and NREM Processing Specializations

描述（由申请人提供）：本R21提案的目的是开发一项新的研究计划，该计划将探索REM（快速眼动）和NREM（非REM）睡眠状态的潜在认知处理专业化。识别这种加工特化将指向迄今未被认识的REM和NREM功能特化的相关性，从而可能导致我们对睡眠功能的理解的突破。在最近（McNamara，McLaren，Smith，Brown，& Stickgold，2005）对来自REM，NREM和清醒状态的500多份心理状态报告的分析中，我们发现REM比NREM或清醒状态的报告表现出更多的攻击性社会互动的模拟，NREM比REM或清醒状态的报告表现出更多的友好互动的模拟。事实上，在NREM报告中绝对没有（零）攻击性互动的模拟。我们计划通过对一组健康的年轻志愿者进行夜间多导睡眠图记录（沿着REM和NREM觉醒）来跟踪和扩展这些发现。我们将在拟议的实验中探讨以下问题：1）McNamara et al.（2005）的发现是否可以复制和扩展？是否有证据表明快速眼动和非快速眼动的认知处理在以下方面具有特化：a）社会互动的模拟，B）情绪，c）有意状态对其他梦境特征的归因（“心理理论”），以及2）非快速眼动“梦”的内容是否与一夜睡眠中快速眼动“梦”的内容相关？识别REM和NREM睡眠的认知加工专门化将产生各种睡眠障碍的更好的定量模型，并更好地治疗与睡眠相关的心理健康障碍。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The purpose of this R21 proposal is to develop a new research program that will explore potential cognitive processing specializations of REM (rapid eye movement) and NREM (non-REM) sleep states. Identifying such processing specializations would point to hitherto unrecognized correlates of functional specializations for REM and NREM and thus may lead to a breakthrough in our understanding of sleep function. In a recent (McNamara, McLaren, Smith, Brown, & Stickgold, 2005) analysis of over 500 mentation reports from the REM, NREM and wake states, we found that REM exhibited greater numbers of simulations of aggressive social interactions than NREM or waking reports, and NREM exhibited greater numbers of simulations of friendly interactions than REM or wake reports. Indeed, there were absolutely no (zero) simulations of aggressive interactions in NREM reports. We plan to follow-up on and extend these findings by performing overnight polysomnographic recordings along with REM and NREM awakenings in a group of healthy young volunteers. We will explore the following questions in the proposed experiments: 1) Can the McNamara et al. (2005) findings be replicated and extended? Is there any evidence for REM and NREM cognitive processing specializations with respect to a) simulations of social interactions, b) emotions, and c) attributions of intentional states to other dream characters ("Theory of Mind") and 2) Is content of a NREM "dream" related to the content of a REM "dream" across a single night of sleep? Identifying cognitive processing specializations of REM and NREM sleep will yield better quantitative models of a variety of sleep disorders and better treatment of sleep-related mental health disorders.