TY - JOUR
T1 - Conscious experiences during Non-Rapid Eye Movement sleep parasomnias
AU - Castelnovo, Anna
AU - Siclari, Francesca
AU - Spaggiari, Sara
AU - Borth, Dolores
AU - Manconi, Mauro
AU - Arnulf, Isabelle
AU - Schenck, Carlos H
N1 - Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
PY - 2024/10/15
Y1 - 2024/10/15
N2 - Disorders of Arousal (DOA) are non-rapid eye movement (NREM) parasomnias traditionally regarded as unconscious states. However, recent research challenges this assumption. This narrative review aims to explore the presence and qualitative features of conscious experiences in patients with DOA during their episodes. The literature indicates a higher recall of mental activity during DOA episodes than previously believed, estimated at about 50-60% in adults (immediately post-episode). Data on children are limited but suggest a lower recall rate (<30% when interviewed retrospectively). Patient reports range from brief scenic fragments to elaborate scenarios with plot development, often fraught with negative emotions and misfortunes and with considerable correspondence between subjective experiences and observed behaviors. In many of the described cases, patients appear to enact their dreams, entering a hallucinatory state where internally generated images overlay external percepts. The potential implications for clinical management, research endeavors, and legal considerations regarding nocturnal violence, along with existing limitations and controversial points, are discussed.
AB - Disorders of Arousal (DOA) are non-rapid eye movement (NREM) parasomnias traditionally regarded as unconscious states. However, recent research challenges this assumption. This narrative review aims to explore the presence and qualitative features of conscious experiences in patients with DOA during their episodes. The literature indicates a higher recall of mental activity during DOA episodes than previously believed, estimated at about 50-60% in adults (immediately post-episode). Data on children are limited but suggest a lower recall rate (<30% when interviewed retrospectively). Patient reports range from brief scenic fragments to elaborate scenarios with plot development, often fraught with negative emotions and misfortunes and with considerable correspondence between subjective experiences and observed behaviors. In many of the described cases, patients appear to enact their dreams, entering a hallucinatory state where internally generated images overlay external percepts. The potential implications for clinical management, research endeavors, and legal considerations regarding nocturnal violence, along with existing limitations and controversial points, are discussed.
U2 - 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105919
DO - 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105919
M3 - Article
C2 - 39419343
SN - 0149-7634
VL - 167
SP - 105919
JO - Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews
JF - Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews
ER -