Dreams are mental manifestations that occur while we sleep and, although it has been proven that they are associated with a reworking of memory information and emotions, they still harbor numerous enigmas and mysteries.
Better or worse, dreams play an essential role in our mental health. So what would happen if we stopped dreaming? A similar phenomenon occurs with Charcot-Wilbrand syndrome which we will talk about throughout this article.
Charcot-Wilbrand syndrome is a rare neurological condition in which the person who suffers from it experience the feeling that you have lost the ability to dream However, what really happens is that the patient suffers from visual agnosia accompanied by the loss of the ability to mentally remember or recover images in the mind; since according to studies, REM sleep processes remain intact.
During the time we are asleep, our brain activity goes through five different phases. The last of them, known as the REM sleep phase (translated as Rapid Eye Movement) is characterized by intense brain activity. Thanks to this activity we can dream and our brain is able to capture information from our environment even if we are asleep.
Although at first glance it may seem that Charcot-Wilbrand syndrome is caused by some type of anomaly in the brain activity of this phase, the truth is that studies point towards the idea that, in reality, an injury to the occipital lobe It may be the main genesis of this sleep disorder or disorder.
The name given to this condition is due to case studies carried out by neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot and ophthalmology researcher Hermann Wilbrand. Although they worked separately, each of them made important contributions to the study of this syndrome.
As for Charcot’s research, these contributed to determining that the main manifestation of the syndrome takes shape in the lack of the ability to remember images produced in dreams Which implies the discovery that the person can dream, but is unable to remember it. As for Wilbrand’s contribution, it revolves around the discovery of the presence of agnosias as possible lateral conditions.
Charcot-Wilbrand syndrome is considered a rare condition since it has very little incidence among the population. Although this implies a lack of studies investigating it, it has been recognized as a condition related to focal brain damage.
Its possible negative effects
Although patients with this syndrome do not tend to suffer from a serious clinical condition or harmful effects derived from the clinical condition, it is hypothesized that dreams promote some relatively important functions for the person’s mental health. Among these benefits is the ability of dreams to promote learning processes
In the same way, it has been postulated that a complete decrease in the ability to dream, or in this case to remember what was dreamed, may be linked to the development of obsessive states and even the suffering of certain types of hallucinations. Finally, some theories establish that dreams help emotional development and preservation, and that the expression of emotions in dreams can enhance or help the expression of emotions in reality
There are two different classifications that include the symptoms of Charcot-Wilbrand syndrome The first of them is based on the studies carried out by the syndrome researchers themselves described above. While the second classification, much more current, is based on the type of injury that causes it and the analysis of the patients’ REM sleep.
1. Traditional classification
Following the first studies, the symptoms of Charcot-Wilbrand syndrome were reduced to the following symptoms:
2. Modern classification
However, the most recent studies describe the clinical picture of this syndrome based on the type of injury and the evaluation of the patients’ REM sleep. These case studies were performed by performing tests such as polysomnography which studies multiple sleep parameters, accompanied by the determination of patterns in sleep stages.
In conclusion, the new definition of the symptoms of Charcot-Wilbrand syndrome is specified as an association between the loss of the ability to evoke images or visual memories that translates or manifests as a loss of dreams.
What are the causes?
In those patients who experience a loss of visual images during sleep, a series of lesions have been identified due to acute onset of thrombosis, hemorrhage, trauma or carbon monoxide poisoning, which is why they are established as possible causes of Charcot syndrome. Wilbrand.
In addition, other conditions or conditions that have a more gradual development, such as the appearance of tumor masses in the brain tissue or abnormal embryonic development of the corpus callosum have also been associated with this syndrome. Likewise, cases of Charcot-Williams have also been found among some patients with Alzheimer’s disease and Turner syndrome.
Regarding the location of brain lesions, the damage is located more frequently in the lateral or mesial (middle) occipito-temporal areas of the brain and almost always bilaterally. However, at the moment it has not been possible to find a more exact or precise location.
Treatment and prognosis
Due to the nature of this condition, there is still no specific or effective treatment for Charcot-Wilbrand syndrome. Nevertheless, There have been cases in which a gradual recovery occurs of the ability to remember dreams.
Although the exact cause of recovery has not yet been determined, it will depend on the severity of the brain damage as well as the main cause of the disease. Depending on these factors, the patient may experience complete recovery, partial recovery, or no remission of symptoms at all.
