REM

Dreamers answered experimenters’ questions or solved simple math problems, showing that complex two-way communication between the dreaming and waking world is possible.

Researchers are experimenting with a variety of tools, from brain stimulation to audiovisual equipment, to try to take control of the sleeping brain.

Technologies such as noninvasive brain stimulation and virtual reality gaming offer insights into how dreams arise and what functions they might serve.

The activation of young brain cells in adult mice is necessary not just for forming memories, but consolidating them during rapid eye movement sleep, a study shows.

“Short sleeper” mice engineered to have the same sequence in the gene sleep less but show the same performance on memory tests as animals that sleep a normal amount.

An unusual experiment suggests that interrupted REM sleep can interfere with the amygdala’s ability to process emotional memories overnight—in this case, the distressing memories of listening to oneself sing out of tune.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor affects onset and duration of REM in the animals, but not other phases of sleep.

Humans can remember new sensory information presented during REM sleep, but this ability is suppressed during deep, slow-wave slumber.

When glutamate neurons are inactivated in rats, the rodents are still capable of REM sleep—but they lose the sleep paralysis unique to REM.

People continue to hear and process words during light non-REM sleep, a study shows.

In vivo recordings from humans reveal that brain activity related to seeing pictures correlates with eye movements during REM sleep.

A round-up of recent discoveries in behavior research