Loss and return of consciousness is linked to the same network of brain regions for both sleep and anesthesia, according to a new study published in JNeurosci.
The biological basis of consciousness has been against scientists for centuries. Our experimental methods are sweaty, as the effects of sleep and anesthetic drugs alter brain activity beyond changes in consciousness. Moreover, behavior does not always reflect a person’s state of consciousness. An unresponsive person may still be aware of what is around them (connected), or ignorant but still experience their inner (disconnected) world.
Scheinin et al. seeks networks related to human consciousness by measuring the brain activity of adult males with PET as they fell asleep and underwent anesthesia. The research team aroused participants ’mid-tests to interview them and determine how close they were. Changes in relationships corresponded to network activity composed of regions deep within the brain: the thalamus, anterior and posterior cingulate cortex, and square gyri. These regions exhibited less blood flow when a partner lost contact and more blood flow when they regained it. The pattern was true for both sleep and anesthesia, reflecting the changes in connection rather than the effects of sleep or drugs, and that the network may be essential for human consciousness.
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Manuscript title: Fundamentals of Human Awareness: Evening Zone Image
About JNeurosci
JNeurosci, the first journal of the Society of Neuroscience, was launched in 1981 as a means of bringing the findings of the highest quality neuroscience study to the growing field. Today, the journal remains committed to publishing modern neuroscience that provides immediate and lasting scientific impact, while responding to the changing publishing needs of authors, representing the breadth of the field. and diversity in authors.
About the Society for Ignorance
The Neuroscience Society is the world’s largest group of scientists and physicians dedicated to understanding the brain and nervous system. The nonprofit group, founded in 1969, now has nearly 37,000 members in more than 90 countries and more than 130 chapters worldwide.
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