The heterogeneity of REM sleep: Cortical oscillations and information-processing during phasic and tonic REM microstates
- Supervisor: Philippe Peigneux
- Research center: UR2NF - Neuropsychology and functional neuroimaging research group
- Research start date: 20.10.2019
Description
REM sleep is a peculiar neural state that occupies 20-25 percent of nighttime sleep in healthy human adults and seems to play critical roles in a variety of functions spanning from basic physiological mechanisms to complex cognitive processes. REM sleep exhibits a plethora of transient neurophysiological features, such as eye movements, muscle twitches, and changes in autonomic activity, however, despite its heterogeneous nature, it is usually conceptualized as a homogeneous sleep state. We propose here that differentiating and exploring the fine microstructure of REM sleep, especially its phasic and tonic constituents would provide a novel framework to examine the mechanisms and putative functions of REM sleep. Phasic and tonic REM periods are remarkably different neural states with respect to environmental alertness, spontaneous and evoked cortical activity, information processing, and seem to contribute differently to the dysfunctions of REM sleep in several neurological and psychiatric disorders. Therefore, a distinctive view on phasic and tonic REM microstates would facilitate the understanding of the mechanisms and functions of REM sleep in healthy and pathological conditions.
With this project we aim at understanding the neurophysiological basis of the micro-architecture of Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, and how its phasic and tonic constituents modulate the way we perceive and process information during sleep, and interact with our environment. To do so, we will use a combination of magnetoencephalography (MEG) and high-density electroencephalography (hdEEG) recordings during resting and auditory stimulation periods during REM sleep, to analyse cortical oscillations, functional connectivity and information processing in REM sleep phasic and tonic microstates.
Our studies will be the first to comprehensively analyze together spontaneous oscillatory activity, external information processing and interoception during REM microstates. In our view, our results have a high potential to provide valuable insights into the mechanisms and functions of REM sleep.
Biography
Péter Simor, PhD.
+36302755968
simor.peter@ppk.elte.hu; petersimor@gmail.com
Born: Budapest, 1982.05.18
Homepage: https://budapestsleeplab.com
Education:
2009 – 2012 Budapest University of Technology and Economics, doctoral (PhD) school of Psychology
2001– 2007 – Faculty of Education and Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest
1996 – 2001 – Károlyi Mihály Hungarian- Spanish Bilingual Secondary School.
Workplaces:
2017 – Present: Eötvös Loránd University, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Department of Affective Psychology, assistant professor
2013 – 2018: Nyírő Gyula Hospital, National Institute of Psychiatry and Addictions. Position: researcher.
2013 – 2017 Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Department of Cognitive Sciences, from 2014: assistant professor
2007 – 2012 – Nyírő Gyula Hospital, Department of Addictology. Position: Psychologist.
Scholarships:
2018. 2-7. Sept: Oxford Chronobiology and Sleep Medicine Summer School, Oxford, UK.
2017. 16-21. Oct: 1st ESRS Sleep Science School ”Neural Networks in Sleep”. Frejus, France.
2015. Aug-Dec: Eötvös Scholarship of the Hungarian State. Visiting researcher at the Laboratory of Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging, University Libre de Bruxelles. Belgium.
2013. 23 Oct – 4 Nov: ESRS travel grant, Laboratory of Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging, Brussels, Belgium.
2013. 23-29 July: FENS-IBRO European Neuroscience Schools Programme. 2013 Kazbegi Sleep Training (Summer school), Georgia, Kazbegi.
2011. Sept-Dec: Erasmus Scholarship. Laboratory of Functional Neuroscience, University of Pablo de Olávide, Seville, Spain.
2011. 7-18 March: LA School for Education, Cognitive and Neural Sciences. San Pedro de Atacama, Chile. (Summer school)
Research Area:
- The neurophysiology of REM sleep
- Nightmare disorder
- Chronotype, sleep quality and psychological adjustment
- Sleep, memory and emotional information processing
5 Selected Publications:
Simor, P., van Der Wijk, G., Gombos, F., & Kovács, I. (2019). The paradox of rapid eye movement sleep in the light of oscillatory activity and cortical synchronization during phasic and tonic microstates. NeuroImage, 202, 116066. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116066. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1053811919306548
Blaskovich, B., Szőllősi, Á., Gombos, F., Racsmány, M., Simor, P. (2017). The benefit of directed forgetting persists after a daytime nap: the role of spindles and REM sleep in the consolidation of relevant memories. SLEEP, 40, 3. doi:10.1093/sleep/zsw076.
Simor, P., Zavecz, Zs., Pálosi, V., Török, Cs, Köteles, F. (2015) The influence of sleep complaints on the association between chronotype and negative emotionality in young adults. Chronobiology International, 32(1), 1-10. DOI:10.3109/07420528.2014.935786
Simor, P., Körmendi, J., Horváth, K., Gombos, F., Ujma, P., Bódizs, R. (2014) Electroencephalographic and Autonomic Alterations in Nightmare Disorder during Pre-and Post-REM periods. Brain and Cognition, 91, 62-70. DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2014.08.004
Simor, P., Horváth, K., Gombos, F., Bódizs, R. (2012) Disturbed dreaming and sleep quality: altered sleep architecture in subjects with frequent nightmares. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 262(8), 687-696.
Awards, grants:
UNKP-18-4 (Bolyai +) New National Excellence Program of the Ministry of Human Capacities
‘Excellent lecturer of the Faculty’ Award of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (2017)
2014 Bolyai János Research Scholarship of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
Erdős Pál Young Researcher Grant. TÁMOP 4.2.4. A/1-11-1-2012-0001 „National Excellence Program – Elaborating and operating an inland student and researcher personal support system”.
Jedlik Ányos pre-doctoral research grant. TÁMOP 4.2.4. A/1-11-1-2012-0001 „National Excellence Program – Elaborating and operating an inland student and researcher personal support system”.
Julesz Béla Young Research Award of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (2012)
Emotional Regulation in Dreaming, Nightmares and Bad dreams in Borderline Personality Disorder – Student grant of the International Association for the Study of Dreams. (2009)
Skills:
Statistics (R, SPSS, JASP), Basic programming (MatLab, R), Sleep EEG analyses, Sleep scoring, analyses of sleep microstructure.
Language Proficiency:
Hungarian – native
English – advanced
Spanish – advanced
French – novice
MEMBERSHIPS
ESRS – European Sleep Research Society
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
BA, MSc and PhD courses on the following topics:
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Introduction to psychology
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Sleep and dream research
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Evolutionary Psychology
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Affective Neuroscience: Emotion and Cognition
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Sleep EEG
Publications
2020
Blaskovich, B., Reichardt, R., Gombos, F., Spoormaker, V. I., & Simor, P. (2020). Cortical hyperarousal in NREM sleep normalizes from pre-to post-REM periods in individuals with frequent nightmares. Sleep, 43(1), zsz201. https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article-abstract/43/1/zsz201/5574411
2019
Simor, P., van Der Wijk, G., Gombos, F., & Kovács, I. (2019). The paradox of rapid eye movement sleep in the light of oscillatory activity and cortical synchronization during phasic and tonic microstates. NeuroImage, 202, 116066. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116066. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1053811919306548
Blaskovich, B., Reicher, V., Gombos, F., Spoormaker, V. I., & Simor, P. (2019). Hyperarousal captured in increased number of arousal events during pre‐REM periods in individuals with frequent nightmares. Journal of Sleep Research, e12965. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jsr.12965
Simor, P., & Blaskovich, B. (2019). The pathophysiology of nightmare disorder: Signs of impaired sleep regulation and hyperarousal. Journal of sleep research, 28(6):e12867. doi: 10.1111/jsr.12867..
Simor, P., Báthori, N., Nagy, T., & Polner, B. (2019). Poor sleep quality predicts psychotic‐like symptoms: an experience sampling study in young adults with schizotypal traits. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica. 140(2):135-146. doi: 10.1111/acps.13064. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/acps.13064
Ujma, P. P., Simor, P., Steiger, A., Dresler, M., & Bodizs, R. (2019). Individual slow-wave morphology is a marker of aging. Neurobiology of Aging, 80, 71-82. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0197458019301083
Ujma, P. P., Konrad B. N., Simor, P., Gombos, F., Körmendi, J., Steiger, A., Dresler, M., Bódizs, R. (2019). Sleep EEG functional connectivity varies with age and sex, but not general intelligence, Neurobiology of Aging, 78, 87-97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2019.02.007
Simor, P., Zavecz, Z., Horvath, K., Elteto, N., Torok, C., Pesthy, O., Gombos, F., Janacsek, K., Nemeth, D. (2019). Deconstructing procedural memory: Different learning trajectories and consolidation of sequence and statistical learning. Frontiers in Psychology, 9;9:2708. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02708. eCollection 2018.
Freyler, A., Simor, P., Szemerszky, R., Köteles, F., Lindheimer, J., Szabo, A., … & Körmendi, J. (2019). Modern Health Worries in Patients with Affective Disorders. A Pilot Study. Clinical Neuroscience/Ideggyógyászati Szemle, 72(9-10), 337-341.doi: 10.18071/isz.72.0337.
Köteles, F., Simor, P., & Szemerszky, R. (2019). Somatosensory Amplification and Absorption contribute to electrosensitivity. Clinical Neuroscience/Ideggyógyászati Szemle, 72(5-6):165-170. doi: 10.18071/isz.72.0165.
2018
Polner, B., Simor, P., Kéri, Sz. Insomnia and intellect mask the positive link between schizotypal traits and creativity. PeerJ. 17;6:e5615. doi: 10.7717/peerj.5615.
Simor, P., Steinbach, E., Nagy, T., Gilson, M., Farthouat, J., Schmitz, R., Gombos, F., Ujma, P., Pamula, M., Bodizs, R., Peigneux, P. (2018). Lateralized Rhythmic Acoustic Stimulation during Daytime NREM Sleep Enhances Slow Waves. SLEEP. 41(12). doi: 10.1093/sleep/zsy176.
Ujma, P.P., Halász, P., Simor, P., Ferri, R. (2018). Increased cortical involvement and synchronization during CAP A1 slow waves. Brain Structure and Function. 223(8):3531-3542. doi: 10.1007/s00429-018-1703-4.
Simor, P., Harsányi, A., Csigó, K., Miklós G., Demeter, G. (2018). Eveningness is associated with poor sleep quality and negative affect in obsessive–compulsive disorder. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 7(1):10-20, doi: 10.1556/2006.7.2018.07.
Simor, P., Gombos, F., Blaskovich, B., Bódizs, R. (2018). Long-range alpha/beta and short-range gamma EEG synchronization distinguishes phasic and tonic REM periods. SLEEP, 41(3). doi: 10.1093/sleep/zsx210.
2017
Ujma, P., Konrad, B., Gombos, F., Simor, P., Pótári, A., Genzel, L., Pawlowski, M., Steiger, A., Bódizs, R., Dresler, M. (2017). The sleep EEG spectrum is a sexually dimorphic marker of general intelligence. Scientific Reports, 7, 18070. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-18124-0
Blaskovich, B., Szőllősi, Á., Gombos, F., Racsmány, M., Simor, P. (2017). The benefit of directed forgetting persists after a daytime nap: the role of spindles and REM sleep in the consolidation of relevant memories. SLEEP, 40, 3. DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsw076 .
Simor, P., Zavecz, Z., Csábi, E., Benedek, P., Janacsek, K., Gombos, F., & Németh, D. (2017). Delta and theta activity during slow-wave sleep are associated with declarative but not with non-declarative learning in children with sleep-disordered breathing. Sleep Spindles & Cortical Up States, 1(1):55-66. DOI: 10.1556/2053.01.2017.003
Bódizs, R., Gombos, F., Ujma, PP., Szakadát, S., Sándor, P., Simor, P., Pótári, A., Konrad, BN., Genzel, L., Steiger, A., Dresler, M. (2017). The hemispheric lateralization of sleep spindles in humans. Sleep Spindles & Cortical Up States, 1(1):42:54. DOI: 10.1556/2053.01.2017.002
Pótári, A., Ujma, P., Konrad, B. N., Genzel, L., Simor, P., Körmendi, J., Gombos, F., Steiger, A., Dresler, M., Bódizs, R. (2017) Age-related changes in sleep EEG are attenuated in highly intelligent individuals. NeuroImage, 1;146:554-560. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.09.039
Kis, A., Szakadát, S., Gácsi, M., Kovács, E., Simor, P., Török, Cs., Gombos, F., Bodizs, R., Topál, J. (2017) The interrelated effect of sleep and learning in dogs (Canis familiaris); an EEG and behavioural study. Scientific Reports. 7:41873, DOI: 10.1038/srep41873
Simor, P. and Polner, B. (2017). Differential influence of asynchrony in early and late chronotypes on convergent thinking. Chronobiology International, 34, 1, 118–128. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07420528.2016.1246454.
2016
Simor, P., Gombos, F., Szakadát, S., Sándor, P. and Bódizs, R. (2016). EEG spectral power in phasic and tonic REM sleep: different patterns in young adults and children. Journal of Sleep Research. 25, 3, 269-277. doi: 10.1111/jsr.12376
Köteles, F., Simor, P., Czető, M., Sárog, N., Szemerszky, R. (2016) Modern Health Worries – the Dark Side of Spirituality? Scandinavian Journal of Psychology. 57,4, 313-320. doi:10.1111/sjop.12297.
2015
Simor P., Krietsch, K.N., Köteles, F., McCrae, C.S. (2015) Day-to-day Variation of Subjective Sleep Quality and Emotional States among Healthy University Students – a 1-Week Prospective Study. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 5, 625-634. DOI: 10.1007/s12529-015-9464-4.
Simor, P., Zavecz, Zs., Pálosi, V., Török, Cs, Köteles, F. (2015) The influence of sleep complaints on the association between chronotype and negative emotionality in young adults. Chronobiology International, 32(1), 1-10. DOI:10.3109/07420528.2014.935786
Zavecz, Zs., Török, Cs., Köteles, F., Pálosi, V., Simor, P. (2015) [The Hungarian adaptation of the MEQ-H (Morningness Eveningness Questionnaire-Hungarian Version): The separate factors of Morning freshness and Circadian rhythmicity] Psychiatria Hungarica, 30 (3):318-331.
Pajkossy, P., Simor P., Szendi, I., Racsmány, M. (2015) Hungarian Validation of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) – Comparing Latent Models with One or Two Method Factors Using both Paper-pencil and Online Versions of the PSWQ. European Journal of Psychological Assessment. 31(3), 2015, 159-165 DOI: 10.1027/1015-5759/a000221
Nagy, T., Salavecz, Gy., Simor, P., Purebl, Gy., Bódizs, R., Dockray, S., Steptoe, A. (2015) Frequent nightmares are associated with blunted cortisol awakening response in women. Physiology & Behavior, 1, 147, 233-237. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.05.001
Ujma, P.P., Simor, P., Ferri, R., Fabó, D., Kelemen, A., Erőss, L. Bódizs, R., Halázs, P. (2015) Increased interictal spike activity associated with transient slow wave trains during non-rapid eye movement sleep. Sleep and Biological Rhythms. 13, 2, 155-162. DOI:10.1111/sbr.12101
Ujma, P. P. Gombos, F., Genzel, L., Konrad, B. N., Simor, P., Dresler, M., Bódizs, R. (2015) A comparison of two spindle detection methods based on all night averages: individually adjusted versus fixed frequencies. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 9, 52. DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00052
2014
Simor, P., Körmendi, J., Horváth, K., Gombos, F., Ujma, P., Bódizs, R. (2014) Electroencephalographic and Autonomic Alterations in Nightmare Disorder during Pre-and Post-REM periods. Brain and Cognition, 91, 62-70. DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2014.08.004
Köteles, F. and Simor, P. (2014) Modern Health Worries, Somatosensory Amplification, Health Anxiety and Well-being: A Cross-Sectional Study. European Journal of Mental Health, 9, 20-33.
Köteles, F. and Simor, P. (2014) Somatic Symptoms and Holistic Thinking as Major Dimensions behind Modern Health Worries. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 21(5), 869-876. DOI 10.1007/s12529-013-9363-5.
Ujma, P., Konrad, B., Genzel, L.., Bleifuss A., Simor, P., Pótári, A., Körmendi, J., Gombos, F., Steiger, A., Bódizs, R., Dresler, M. (2014) Sleep spindles and intelligence: Evidence for a sexual dimorphism. The Journal of Neuroscience: The official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 34(49), 16358 –16368. DOI:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1857-14.2014
Kis, A., Szakadát, S., Kovács, E., Gácsi, M., Simor, P., Gombos, F., Topál, J., Miklósi, Á., Bódizs, R. (2014) Development of a non-invasive polysomnography technique for dogs (Canis familiaris). Physiology & Behavior, 130,149-156. DOI:10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.04.004
Kis, A., Szakadát, S., Simor, P., Gombos, F., Horváth, K., Bódizs, R. (2014) Objective and subjective components of the first-night effect in young nightmare sufferers and healthy subjects. Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 12(6), 469-80. DOI: 10.1080/15402002.2013.829062.
2013
Simor, P., Horváth, K., Ujma, P., Gombos, F., Bódizs, R. (2013). Fluctuations between sleep and wakefulness: wake-like features indicated by increased EEG alpha power during different sleep stages in nightmare disorder. Biological Psychology, 94, 592-600.
Simor, P., Bódizs, R., Horváth, K., Ferri, R. (2013). Disturbed dreaming and the instability of sleep: altered NREM sleep microstructure in subjects with frequent nightmares as revealed by the cyclic alternating pattern. SLEEP, 36(3), 413-419.
Simor, P., Horváth, K. (2013). Altered Sleep in Borderline Personality Disorder in relation to the Core Dimensions of Psychopathology. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 54(4), 300-312.
Köteles, F., Simor. P. (2013). Modern Health Worries, Somatosensory Amplification and Subjective Symptoms: A Longitudinal Study. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 20(1), 38-41.
Simor, P., Petke, Zs., Köteles, F. (2013). Measuring pre-reflexive consciousness: The Hungarian validation of the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS). Learning & Perception, 5, 17-29.
Simor, P. (2013). [Nightmares int he bedroom of science: Exploring a neglected sleep disorder.] Orvosi Hetilap, 154(13), 497-502.
2012
Simor, P., Horváth, K., Gombos, F., Bódizs, R. (2012) Disturbed dreaming and sleep quality: altered sleep architecture in subjects with frequent nightmares. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 262(8), 687-696.
Simor, P., Pajkossy, P., Horváth, K., Bódizs, R. (2012) Impaired executive functions in subjects with frequent nightmares as reflected by performance in different neuropsychological tasks. Brain and Cognition, 78, 274-283.
Petke, Z., Csorba, J., Mészáros, J., Vingender, I., Farkas, J., Demetrovics, Z., Kovács, Z., Menczel, Z., Pataki, Z., Simor, P., Havasi, A., Melles, K., Márványkövi, F., Rácz, J. (2012) [Psychosocial changes in six months of buprenorphine/naloxone substitution treatment]. Neuropsychopharmacologia Hungarica, 14(1), 7-17.
Köteles, F., Simor, P., Tolnai, N.(2012). [Psychometric evaluation of the Hungarian version of the Somatic Absorption Scale]. Mentálhigiéné és Pszichoszomatika, 13(4), 375-395.
2011
Simor, P., Köteles, F., Sándor, P., Bódizs, R. (2011) Mindfulness and dream quality: The inverse relationship between mindfulness and negative dream affect. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 52(4), 369-375.
Csóka, Sz., Simor, P., Szabo, G., Kopp, M. S., Bódizs, R. (2011) Early maternal separation, nightmares and bad dreams: results from the Hungarostudy Epidemiological Panel. Attachment and Human Development, 13(2), 125-140.
Simor, P., Köteles, F., Bódizs, R. (2011) [Submesrion in the experience: The examination of the Tellegen Absorption Scale in an undergratuate university sample.] Mentálhigiéné és Pszichoszomatika 12(2), 101-123.
Gyollai, Á., Simor, P., Köteles, F., Demetrovics, Zs. (2011) Psychometric properties of the Hungarian version of the original and the short form of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). Neuropsychopharmacologia Hungarica, 13(2), 73-79.
Köteles, F., Simor, P., Bárdos, Gy. (2011) [Validation and psychometric evaluation of the Hungarian Version of the short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI)]. Mentálhigiéné és Pszichoszomatika, 12(3), 191-213.
2010
Simor, P., Csóka, Sz., Bódizs, R. (2010) Nightmares and bad dreams in Borderline Personality Disorder: fantasy as a coping skill? European Journal of Psychiatry, 24(1), 28-37.
2009
Simor, P., Kovács, I., Vargha, A., Csóka, Sz., Mangel, B., Bódizs, R. (2009) [Nightmares, dream anxiety and psychopathology: The Hungarian adaptation of the Van Dream Anxiety Scale]. Psychiatria Hungarica, 24(6), 428-438.
Simor, P., Köteles, F., Bódizs, R., Bárdos, Gy. (2009) [A questionnaire-based study of subjective sleep quality: The validity of the Hungarian version of the Groningen Sleep Quality Scale]. Mentálhigiéné és Pszichoszomatika, 10(3), 249-261.
2008
Bódizs, R., Simor, P., Csóka, Sz., Bérdi, M., Kopp, M. S. (2008) Dreaming and health promotion: A theoretical proposal and some epidemiological establishments. European Journal of Mental Health, 3,(1), 35-72.