A prospective controlled study on the impact of anterior temporal lobectomy on dream content

OBJECTIVE Changes of dream ability and content in patients with brain lesions have been addressed in only about 100 case reports. All of these reports lack data regarding prelesional baseline dream content. Therefore, it was the objective of this study to prospectively assess dream content before and after anterior temporal lobectomy. METHODS Using the Hall and Van de Castle system, 30 dreams before and 21 dreams after anterior temporal lobectomy for drug-resistant epilepsy were analyzed. Fifty-five dreams before and 60 dreams after stereoelectroencephalography served as controls. RESULTS After anterior temporal lobectomy, patients had significantly less physical aggression in their dreams than preoperatively (p < 0.01, Cohen’s h statistic). Dream content of patients undergoing stereoelectroencephalography showed no significant changes. CONCLUSIONS Within the default dream network, the temporal lobe may account for aggressive dream content. Impact of general anesthesia on dream content, as a possible confounder, was ruled out.