Interest in dream interpretation: A gender difference.

Although several studies reported a significant effect with regard to the gender difference in an interest in dreams, the generalizability of these studies is limited because mainly students were recruited as participants. In this study, gender differences with regard to interest in dream interpretation as an indicator of interest in dreams in general have been demonstrated in a representative sample. There was, however, a significant age-gender interaction, indicating that interest in dreams might not be a potent variable for explaining gender differences in dream recall. In future studies, the course of interest in dreams over the life span and any associated gender differences should be investigated using carefully designed scales. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The dream experience: A systematic exploration..

Reviews the book, The dream experience: A systematic exploration by Milton Kramer (see record 2007-01084-000). This book was written by an exceptional scientist and clinician and is based on 46 years of productive work in the field of dream research and sleep medicine. Milton Kramer presents some preliminary data about two patterns that describe changes in dream content over one night: the progressive-sequential dream pattern and the repetitive-traumatic dream pattern, each illustrated with an example. The first pattern reflects some kind of progression reflecting a successful coping with the problem of the first dream. The second pattern repeats one topic but without introducing successful coping strategies. Milton Kramer's book is a comprehensive overview of dream research over the last 50 years and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in pursuing this field of research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Integration of structural and functional genomics

This paper introduces a special issue of Animal Genetics , which is devoted to the recent symposium held at Iowa State University entitled 'Integration of Structural and Functional Genomics'. We describe issues and needs that confront the animal genomics community, and describe how this symposium was structured to address these issues by improving communication and collaboration across species and disciplines. The session topics and oral presentations are briefly described for all invited speakers.     

Reliability and stability of dream recall frequency.

Although a large number of studies investigating factors affecting dream recall frequency (DRF) have been carried out, research investigating the reliability and stability of DRF is scarce. Dream diaries of 196 participants kept over at least 28 days were analyzed. The results of the present study indicate that a time period of 2 weeks was sufficient to obtain reliable measurements of interindividual differences in DRF. Despite the high day-to-day fluctuations of dream recall, the stability of this variable was very high. Studies that investigate the stability of DRF by means of other methodological approaches (e.g., questionnaire scales, laboratory awakenings) and over longer time periods (e.g., 1 year) should be carried out to complement the present findings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Confirming the factor structure of the dream intensity inventory.

This study’s primary purpose was to examine the overall quality of the factorial structure of the Dream Intensity Inventory (DII). It was hypothesized that dream intensity was a multifaceted construct that could be accounted for by 3 latent factors, namely Dream Quantity, Dream Vividness, and Altered Dream Episodes. The 1st-order oblique, 1st-order orthogonal, and 2nd-order models, which represented 3 possible versions of the structural relations among the 3 latent factors, were subjected to the confirmatory statistical procedures. The goodness-of-fit indices indicated that the 2nd-order model and the 1st-order model hypothesizing 3 oblique factors were superior to that hypothesizing 3 orthogonal factors. The factorial characteristics of the two well-fitting DII models were shown to be equivalent across 2 samples. These results suggest that the theoretical construct of dream intensity can be pertinently described by the 3-factor measurement model. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of mood congruency memory effects in dream recall: A pilot study.

A methodological issue in research relating daytime mood to dream content is the question of whether mood congruency effects—that is, recalling more negative events if the current mood is more negative—also play a role in the dream recall process. This study adopted an indirect approach by testing the hypothesis that interindividual differences in mood congruency effects in a memory task carried out in the daytime correlate with mood congruency effects in dream recall (recalling more negative dream emotions, as one would predict on the basis of the current stress level or overall mood state). The findings, however, did not support the hypothesis of mood congruency effects and, thus, rule out that the findings regarding the continuity hypothesis of dreaming are biased by selective recall. Studies with different methodological approaches are necessary to validate this study’s findings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Usefulness of the analysis of links among dream sources in therapy.

A study of the links among the memory sources of dreams can be carried out by means of an automatic analysis of text files including dream reports and associations. Heuristic criteria can provide plausible explanations for the existence of these links, which generally present a logical and at the same time emotional significance. The aim of this paper is to support the idea that the study of the link patterns among dream sources, in addition to being interesting from the cognitive viewpoint can be also useful for the therapeutic process. An interaction schema is described including four operators: the dreamer (patient), the therapist, the detector of possible links, and the proposer of plausible explanations. Two examples are given of application of this schema. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Video game play and dream bizarreness.

In a series of studies, J. Gackenbach has been mapping the effects of heavy video game play on consciousness, including dreaming. The reason that gamers are being investigated is that they represent a group of people who are engaging in the most immersive media experience widely available today. With its audio and visual interactive nature as well as the long hours often required to master a game, they are an opportune group to study media effects upon consciousness. In this study, the focus was on dream bizarreness. Dream bizarreness has been variously thought to be the differentiator between waking and dreaming thought, an indication of creativity, and most recently, as a model for solving the binding problem in consciousness. Using A. Revonsuo’s and C. Salmivalli’s scale for dream content analysis, it was found that high-end gamers evidenced more bizarre dreams than did low-end gamers in two of three types of bizarreness categories. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive differences in dream content between Argentine males and females using quantitative content analysis.

This study asked the question, Are there significant content differences between male and female dream reports obtained in seminars conducted in Argentina? Each of the 100 female and 100 male participants contributed one recent dream report during dream seminars held in Argentina between 1990 and 1998. Dream reports were scored using Hall and Van de Castle's System of Content Analysis. Major findings revealed that Argentine males reported significantly more aggressions per character and a higher percentage of dreamers as the aggressor than reported by females. They also reported more dreams with at least one success than reported by females. In contrast, females scored significantly higher on both the Self-Negativity index and the Negative Emotions index compared to males. Although some findings were similar to past studies using American participants, others were unique to this study and may be attributable to the particular sample used, or may suggest actual underlying cultural patterns of contemporary Argentine men and women. Results are discussed in terms of Hall's continuity hypothesis and Domhoff's cognitive model of dreaming. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dream Intensity Inventory and Chinese people's dream experience frequencies.

The present study aimed to devise a parsimonious instrument for evaluating both the quantitative and qualitative aspects of dream experiences and to quantify Chinese people's dream experiences in ways that facilitated cross-cultural comparisons. The Dream Intensity Inventory was developed and administered to 348 Chinese university students. Individual differences in dream recall frequency were observed, with some participants recalling dreams almost every morning whereas others recalled dreams less than once a month. By contrast, the Chinese participants exhibited less diverse dream awareness frequencies. Multiple dreams in a single night and nightmares were found to be prevalent among the Chinese participants. On the other hand, fewer than half of the participants experienced regularly voluntary control over dream activities and consciousness. The factor analyses of the items in the Dream Intensity Inventory resulted in three readily interpreted factors, which were labeled as the "dream quantity," "altered dream episodes," and "dream vividness" subscales, respectively. When compared with men, women participants had higher frequencies of regular dream experiences including dream awareness, nightmares, and multiple dreams, as measured by the dream quantity subscale. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prediction of session process and outcome in the Hill dream model: Contributions of client characteristics and the process of the three stages.

Forty-two therapists trained in the C. E. Hill dream model (1996, 2004a) conducted single dream sessions with 157 volunteer clients. Clients who profited most from dream sessions had poor initial functioning on the problem reflected in the dream, positive attitudes toward dreams, salient dreams, low initial insight into the dream, and poor initial action ideas related to the dream. When initial stages of the session were evaluated positively, later stages were also evaluated positively. Process (therapist competence/adherence and client involvement) was positively related to session outcome. Perspective also influenced the findings, such that clients', therapists', and judges' perceptions of process related to their own, but not others', evaluations of process and session outcome. Implications of findings for dream work and research are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dreaming and insomnia: Polysomnographic correlates of reported dream recall frequency.

This study assesses which polysomnographic variables are associated with changes in reported dream recall frequency in patients meeting diagnostic criteria for primary insomnia. Data analyzed included sleep latency, total sleep time, sleep efficiency, time in REM, time in sleep stages (1&2 vs. 3&4), and periodic limb movement. For the grouping meeting ICD-10 diagnostic criteria for primary insomnia, a significant decrease in dream recall was found compared to the noninsomniac group. A decline in polysomnographic sleep quality was associated with a decline in reported dream or nightmare recall frequency. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Exploring dream work at end of life.

Dream work with the terminally ill is an effective intervention modality. Despite this, it remains an understudied phenomenon. This article will review the literature on the subject in an attempt to make recommendations regarding future research into this methodology. The author explores dream work with patients at end-of-life and contrasts it with dream work with trauma survivors. Complementary and alternative medicine interventions used to support the terminally ill are also surveyed. Hypnotic guided imagery at end of life in particular are examined and compared with dream work methodologies. Benefits from these therapies are outlined, as well as potential problems that practitioners may encounter with their utilization. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prediction of functional sites in proteins using conserved functional group analysis

A detailed knowledge of a protein's functional site is an absolute prerequisite for understanding its mode of action at the molecular level. However, the rapid pace at which sequence and structural information is being accumulated for proteins greatly exceeds our ability to determine their biochemical roles experimentally. As a result, computational methods are required which allow for the efficient processing of the evolutionary information contained in this wealth of data, in particular that related to the nature and location of functionally important sites and residues. The method presented here, referred to as conserved functional group (CFG) analysis, relies on a simplified representation of the chemical groups found in amino acid side-chains to identify functional sites from a single protein structure and a number of its sequence homologues. We show that CFG analysis can fully or partially predict the location of functional sites in approximately 96% of the 470 cases tested and that, unlike other methods available, it is able to tolerate wide variations in sequence identity. In addition, we discuss its potential in a structural genomics context, where automation, scalability and efficiency are critical, and an increasing number of protein structures are determined with no prior knowledge of function. This is exemplified by our analysis of the hypothetical protein Ydde_Ecoli, whose structure was recently solved by members of the North East Structural Genomics consortium. Although the proposed active site for this protein needs to be validated experimentally, this example illustrates the scope of CFG analysis as a general tool for the identification of residues likely to play an important role in a protein's biochemical function. Thus, our method offers a convenient solution to rapidly and automatically process the vast amounts of data that are beginning to emerge from structural genomics projects.     

Problems and action ideas discussed by first- and second-generation female east asian students during dream sessions.

Using Consensual Qualitative Research-Cases (CQR-C), we investigated differences in types of problems and action ideas of 7 first- and 7 second-generation female students of Asian origin as expressed in relation to working with dreams. Interpersonal issues and academic/postgraduation/career issues were typical for both groups, but first-generation Asian women more often disclosed concerns related to immigration/cultural/adjustment and distress related to physical/health issues than did second-generation Asian-American women. In terms of action ideas, both groups typically proposed interpersonal behavioral changes, but first-generation Asian women proposed changes in their thoughts and feelings more often than did second-generation Asian women. Implications for practice and research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of a two-week reflection-intention training program on lucid dream recall.

Previous research in the field of lucid dreams has produced several techniques which are claimed to be a means of inducing lucid dreams, but there have been only a small number of reported studies which have evaluated their effectiveness. The present study investigated the effects of one of the most promising of these, the reflection-intention technique, which is specifically designed to increase the frequency of dream and lucid dream recall. The sample here consisted of 20 participants whose frequencies of normal dream recall and lucid dream recall were recorded before, during and after a two week training program by using a dream questionnaire and a dream journal: A one-way repeated measures analysis of variance showed a significant increase in both dream recall frequency (F2,38 = 22.09, p2,38 = 5.96, p     

On the structure of hisH: protein structure prediction in the context of structural and functional genomics

We predict a structure of the glutamine amidotransferase subunit (hisH) of imidazole glycerol phosphate synthase (IGPS) which catalyzes the fifth step of the histidine biosynthesis in Escherichia coli. The model is constructed using an energy-based threading program augmented by a multiple sequence to structure profile analysis. In developing our model we identified a conserved core region within hisH and a variable domain which is the likely site of interaction with the synthase subunit (hisF) of IGPS. Information available from structural and functional genomics studies was used to improve the structure prediction, to discuss parallels between histidine biosynthesis and other amino acid and nucleotide metabolic pathways, and to better understand the protein-protein interactions between the hisH and hisF domains of IGPS. This work allows us to develop a preliminary model for the structure of the entire IGPS holoenzyme.