The role of the amygdala in dreaming

Simple item page
dc.contributor.advisorSolms, Marken_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorBalchin, Rossen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorBlake, Yvonneen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2015-05-04T07:11:06Z
dc.date.available2015-05-04T07:11:06Z
dc.date.issued2014en_ZA
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical references.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractNeuro-imaging studies have strongly implicated the basolateral amygdala in dreaming (e.g. Maquet et al., 1996). Various neuropsychological dream theorists (Domhoff, 2001; Hobson, Pace-Schott & Stickgold, 2000; Revonsuo, 2000) propose central roles for the amygdala in dreaming (particularly in the generation of dream affect); however, little empirical research on its function in dreaming exists. Urbach-Wiethe Disease (UWD) is a very rare genetic condition that can lead to calcifications in the medial temporal lobes. This study analysed 26 dream reports collected from eight adult UWD patients with fully calcified basolateral amygdalae bilaterally, and compared them to 58 dream reports collected from 17 matched controls. Dream affect and various other dream characteristics were examined. A number of significant results of small to moderate effect size were found. Notably, UWD patients’ dream reports had a significantly higher mean intensity of positive affect than controls’ dream reports, a significantly lower mean intensity of negative affect, a significantly higher mean intensity of PLAY, and a significantly lower mean intensity of RAGE. The UWD patients’ dream reports were also significantly more wish-fulfilling than the controls’ dream reports, were significantly less likely to be classified as nightmares, and had a significantly lower word count and narrative item count. These results are consistent with an extensive literature that implicates the basolateral amygdala in fear conditioning, emotional appraisal and in similar affective processes in waking life (e.g. LeDoux, 2003; Pessoa, 2010). The dream reports were also analysed for instances of threat and escape, as well as for approach and avoidance behaviour, in order to test some of the hypotheses central to Revonsuo’s (2000) threat simulation theory (TST) of dreaming. These analyses produced no significant results. Given that the amygdala is essential to Revonsuo’s (2000) conceptualisation of dreaming as an evolutionarily adaptive mechanism to safely simulate threat avoidance, these findings contradict some of TST’s central predictions. In general, these findings suggest that the average dream of persons with bilateral basolateral amygdalae damage is significantly simpler, more pleasant, less unpleasant, more wish-fulfilling and less likely to be a nightmare than the average control dream. As such, the dream reports of the UWD patients seem strikingly similar to the dreams of young children.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationBlake, Y. (2014). <i>The role of the amygdala in dreaming</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/12718en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationBlake, Yvonne. <i>"The role of the amygdala in dreaming."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/12718en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationBlake, Y. 2014. The role of the amygdala in dreaming. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Blake, Yvonne AB - Neuro-imaging studies have strongly implicated the basolateral amygdala in dreaming (e.g. Maquet et al., 1996). Various neuropsychological dream theorists (Domhoff, 2001; Hobson, Pace-Schott & Stickgold, 2000; Revonsuo, 2000) propose central roles for the amygdala in dreaming (particularly in the generation of dream affect); however, little empirical research on its function in dreaming exists. Urbach-Wiethe Disease (UWD) is a very rare genetic condition that can lead to calcifications in the medial temporal lobes. This study analysed 26 dream reports collected from eight adult UWD patients with fully calcified basolateral amygdalae bilaterally, and compared them to 58 dream reports collected from 17 matched controls. Dream affect and various other dream characteristics were examined. A number of significant results of small to moderate effect size were found. Notably, UWD patients’ dream reports had a significantly higher mean intensity of positive affect than controls’ dream reports, a significantly lower mean intensity of negative affect, a significantly higher mean intensity of PLAY, and a significantly lower mean intensity of RAGE. The UWD patients’ dream reports were also significantly more wish-fulfilling than the controls’ dream reports, were significantly less likely to be classified as nightmares, and had a significantly lower word count and narrative item count. These results are consistent with an extensive literature that implicates the basolateral amygdala in fear conditioning, emotional appraisal and in similar affective processes in waking life (e.g. LeDoux, 2003; Pessoa, 2010). The dream reports were also analysed for instances of threat and escape, as well as for approach and avoidance behaviour, in order to test some of the hypotheses central to Revonsuo’s (2000) threat simulation theory (TST) of dreaming. These analyses produced no significant results. Given that the amygdala is essential to Revonsuo’s (2000) conceptualisation of dreaming as an evolutionarily adaptive mechanism to safely simulate threat avoidance, these findings contradict some of TST’s central predictions. In general, these findings suggest that the average dream of persons with bilateral basolateral amygdalae damage is significantly simpler, more pleasant, less unpleasant, more wish-fulfilling and less likely to be a nightmare than the average control dream. As such, the dream reports of the UWD patients seem strikingly similar to the dreams of young children. DA - 2014 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2014 T1 - The role of the amygdala in dreaming TI - The role of the amygdala in dreaming UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/12718 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/12718
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationBlake Y. The role of the amygdala in dreaming. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology, 2014 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/12718en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Psychologyen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanitiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.titleThe role of the amygdala in dreamingen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMAen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
thesis_hum_2014_blake_y (1).pdf
Size:
864.05 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download
Collections
Masters