REM sleep reduction leads to fear overgeneralization via negatively modulating prefrontal theta oscillations.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Fear overgeneralization, defined as the excessive fear response to non-threatening stimuli, is a hallmark of anxiety-related disorders. Sleep has long been recognized as a critical factor in the consolidation and processing of fear memories, with research suggesting that different sleep phases, particularly rapid eye movement (REM) and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, may have distinct roles. However, how sleep influences fear generalization remains largely unknown. We systematically investigated the dynamic effects of sleep phases and their associated neural oscillations on fear generalization recently after sleep manipulation and remotely 1 week later.

Methods

In a randomized controlled between-subjects experiment, 126 participants were assigned to the four

SUBMITTER: Di T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12607157 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature