High-energy brain dynamics during anesthesia-induced unconsciousness.

ABSTRACT: Characterizing anesthesia-induced alterations to brain network dynamics provides a powerful framework to understand the neural mechanisms of unconsciousness. To this end, increased attention has been directed at how anesthetic drugs alter the functional connectivity between brain regions as defined through neuroimaging. However, the effects of anesthesia on temporal dynamics at functional network scales is less well understood. Here, we examine such dynamics in view of the free-energy principle, which postulates that brain dynamics tend to promote lower energy (more organized) states. We specifically engaged the hypothesis that such low-energy states play an important role in maintaining conscious awareness. To investigate this hypothesis, we analyzed resting-state BOLD fMRI data from huma

SUBMITTER: Riehl JR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6063715 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature