Oldoni Abel A, Bacchi André D, Mendes Fúlvio R, Tiba Paula A, Mota-Rolim Sérgio
Center for Mathematics, Computing and Cognition, Federal University of ABC, São Bernardo do Campo 09606-045, Brazil.
Faculty of Health Sciences, Federal University of Rondonópolis, Rondonópolis 78736-900, Brazil.
Brain Sci. 2024 Apr 25;14(5):426. doi: 10.3390/brainsci14050426.
Lucid dreaming (LD) is a physiological state of consciousness that occurs when dreamers become aware that they are dreaming, and may also control the oneiric content. In the general population, LD is spontaneously rare; thus, there is great interest in its induction. Here, we aim to review the literature on neuropsychopharmacological induction of LD. First, we describe the circadian and homeostatic processes of sleep regulation and the mechanisms that control REM sleep with a focus on neurotransmission systems. We then discuss the neurophysiology and phenomenology of LD to understand the main cortical oscillations and brain areas involved in the emergence of lucidity during REM sleep. Finally, we review possible exogenous substances-including natural plants and artificial drugs-that increase metacognition, REM sleep, and/or dream recall, thus with the potential to induce LD. We found that the main candidates are substances that increase cholinergic and/or dopaminergic transmission, such as galantamine. However, the main limitation of this technique is the complexity of these neurotransmitter systems, which challenges interpreting results in a simple way. We conclude that, despite these promising substances, more research is necessary to find a reliable way to pharmacologically induce LD.
清醒梦（LD）是一种意识的生理状态，当做梦者意识到自己正在做梦时就会出现，并且还可能控制梦境内容。在普通人群中，清醒梦自发出现的情况很少见；因此，人们对诱导清醒梦非常感兴趣。在此，我们旨在综述关于清醒梦神经心理药理学诱导的文献。首先，我们描述睡眠调节的昼夜节律和稳态过程以及控制快速眼动睡眠（REM睡眠）的机制，重点关注神经传递系统。然后，我们讨论清醒梦的神经生理学和现象学，以了解快速眼动睡眠期间清醒状态出现时涉及的主要皮层振荡和脑区。最后，我们综述可能增加元认知、快速眼动睡眠和/或梦境回忆从而有可能诱导清醒梦的外源性物质，包括天然植物和人工合成药物。我们发现主要的候选物质是那些增加胆碱能和/或多巴胺能传递的物质，如加兰他敏。然而，这项技术的主要局限性在于这些神经递质系统的复杂性，这使得以简单的方式解释结果具有挑战性。我们得出结论，尽管有这些有前景的物质，但仍需要更多研究来找到一种可靠的药理学方法来诱导清醒梦。
