Favorite odor induces negative dream emotion during rapid eye movement sleep

As connections between nightmares and various psychiatric disorders have been reported, the clinical significance of studying dream emotionality is now growing in importance. Odor presentation may be a crucial tool to study dream emotions because the olfactory bulb connects directly to the amygdala. Previous studies have demonstrated that presentation of positive/negative odors during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep affects various aspects of dreaming. Although olfactory perception can be influenced by personal experiences, the role of individual preferences in the effects of olfactory stimuli on dreaming has not yet been clarified.
Source: Sleep Medicine - Category: Sleep Medicine Authors: Tags: Original Article Source Type: research