Induction of Dreaming With EEG and Anesthesia in Healthy Adults

Part of paid clinical trials in Stanford, California.

Sponsor
Stanford University
Study ID
NCT07198711
Phase
PHASE1
Status
Enrolling By Invitation

Conditions

  • Healthy Volunteers

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
18 Years - 70 Years
Healthy Volunteers
Accepted

Interventions

  • Propofol - Emergence-from-LOR Protocol — DRUG
    Intravenous propofol infusion that meets the criteria: (1) maintenance of spontaneous ventilation, (2) sedation level corresponding to a Patient State Index (PSI) no lower than 25; and (3) loss of responsiveness (LOR) defined by the Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale (RASS) = -5 \[unarousable\]. Anesthesia is then maintained at that level for 30 minutes, followed by spontaneous emergence.
  • Propofol - Light Sedation Protocol — DRUG
    Intravenous propofol infusion titrated stepwise to reach a state where participants are sedated but have behavioral responsiveness. Sedation is maintained at this level for 30 minutes.

Study Details

This open-label, randomized crossover study in healthy adults tests two propofol protocols to produce distinct experiential states. One induces brief loss of responsiveness with spontaneous emergence, intended to elicit dream reports; the other maintains light sedation without loss of responsiveness, intended to elicit non-dream experiences while participants remain responsive. The main goals are to (a) measure the protocol-concordant experiential report rate (how often each method produces its intended experience), (b) explore EEG correlates of these experiences in the two states, and (c) describe their phenomenology (what they are like). We will also examine short-term changes in well-being and sleep related to these experiences. Participants complete four sessions (two of each method) with EEG and routine monitoring, immediate post-session interviews, and brief questionnaires and daily sleep/dream logs before and after anesthesia sessions.

Key Dates

Start date
May 20, 2025
Status verified
Sep 2025
Primary completion
May 31, 2026
Completion
May 31, 2026

Study Design

Enrollment
15 participants (estimated)
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE

Arms

  • Experimental: Emergence-from-LOR Protocol
    Participants receive propofol titrated to loss of responsiveness (LOR) followed by maintenance and spontaneous emergence. This protocol is designed to elicit dream reports upon emergence (i.e., reports of subjective experiences occurring during the unresponsiveness period)
  • Experimental: No-LOR Light Sedation Protocol
    Participants receive propofol titrated stepwise to light sedation without LOR, maintaining responsiveness. This protocol is designed to elicit non-dream experiential reports while responsive (e.g., simple imagery, sounds, thoughts, bodily sensations, hypnagogic-like experiences).

Primary Outcome Measure

Protocol-concordant experiential report [ Time Frame: Assessed within 5 minutes of return of responsiveness (LOR protocol) or within 5 minutes of session end (light-sedation protocol). ]

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
Stanford UniversityStanfordCalifornia94305-

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By research site
Stanford University· Stanford, CA

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