Altered Global Brain Signal during Physiologic, Pharmacologic, and Pathologic States of Unconsciousness in Humans and Rats

Conclusions The global temporal coordination of various modules across the brain may distinguish the coarse-grained state of consciousnessversus unconsciousness, while the relationship between the global and local signals may define the particular qualities of a particular unconscious state.Editor ’s PerspectiveWhat We Already Know about This TopicIntegrated neuronal activity across functionally distinct brain networks is a prerequisite for consciousnessFunctional magnetic resonance imaging –derived global brain signal is a candidate marker for conscious statesWhether unconsciousness is correlated with a loss of global temporal coordination of brain activities has not been previously reportedWhat This Article Tells Us That Is NewFunctional magnetic resonance imaging of global brain signal amplitude and functional connectivity demonstrates a strong association between overall brain connectivity and the level of consciousness in both humans and ratsEach distinct state of unconsciousness, including sleep, general anesthesia, and unresponsive wakefulness syndrome, showed state-specific alterations in global signal topographyThese findings suggest that the global temporal coordination defines the coarse-grained state of consciousnessversus unconsciousness, while the relationship of the global and local signals defines the particular qualities of that unconscious state
Source: Anesthesiology - Category: Anesthesiology Source Type: research