Distinct EEG signatures differentiate unconsciousness and disconnection during anaesthesia and sleep.

ABSTRACT:

Background

How conscious experience becomes disconnected from the environment, or disappears, across arousal states is unknown. We sought to identify the neural correlates of sensory disconnection and unconsciousness using a novel serial awakening paradigm.

Methods

Volunteers were recruited for sedation with dexmedetomidine i.v., propofol i.v., or natural sleep with high-density EEG monitoring and serial awakenings to establish whether subjects were in states of disconnected consciousness or unconsciousness in the preceding 20 s. The primary outcome was classification of conscious states by occipital delta power (0.5-4 Hz). Secondary analyses included derivation (dexmedetomidine) and validation (sleep/propofol) studies of EEG signatures of conscious states.

Results

Oc

SUBMITTER: Casey CP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9428919 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature