Neural Correlates of Unconsciousness in Large-Scale Brain Networks

Overview

Journal Trends Neurosci

Specialty Neurology

Date 2018 Feb 8

PMID 29409683

Citations 68

Authors

George A Mashour

Anthony G Hudetz

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The biological basis of consciousness is one of the most challenging and fundamental questions in 21st century science. A related pursuit aims to identify the neural correlates and causes of unconsciousness. We review current trends in the investigation of physiological, pharmacological, and pathological states of unconsciousness at the level of large-scale functional brain networks. We focus on the roles of brain connectivity, repertoire, graph-theoretical techniques, and neural dynamics in understanding the functional brain disconnections and reduced complexity that appear to characterize these states. Persistent questions in the field, such as distinguishing true correlates, linking neural scales, and understanding differential recovery patterns, are also addressed.

Citing Articles

Neural Oscillations in the Somatosensory and Motor Cortex Distinguish Dexmedetomidine-Induced Anesthesia and Sleep in Rats.

Ge D, Han C, Liu C, Meng Z CNS Neurosci Ther. 2025; 31(2):e70262.

PMID: 39963924 PMC: 11833454. DOI: 10.1111/cns.70262.

Thalamic Roles in Conscious Perception Revealed by Low-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Neuromodulation.

Jang H, Fotiadis P, Mashour G, Hudetz A, Huang Z bioRxiv. 2024; .

PMID: 39416133 PMC: 11483030. DOI: 10.1101/2024.10.07.617034.

Liver protects neuron viability and electrocortical activity in post-cardiac arrest brain injury.

Guo Z, Yin M, Sun C, Xu G, Wang T, Jia Z EMBO Mol Med. 2024; 16(10):2322-2348.

PMID: 39300235 PMC: 11479250. DOI: 10.1038/s44321-024-00140-z.

Sequential Deactivation Across the Hippocampus-Thalamus-mPFC Pathway During Loss of Consciousness.

Chen X, Cramer S, Chan D, Han X, Zhang N Adv Sci (Weinh). 2024; 11(42):e2406320.

PMID: 39248326 PMC: 11558098. DOI: 10.1002/advs.202406320.

Unifying biophysical consciousness theories with MaxCon: maximizing configurations of brain connectivity.

Perez Velazquez J, Mateos D, Guevara R, Wennberg R Front Syst Neurosci. 2024; 18:1426986.

PMID: 39135560 PMC: 11317472. DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2024.1426986.

References

Nir Y, Staba R, Andrillon T, Vyazovskiy V, Cirelli C, Fried I . Regional slow waves and spindles in human sleep. Neuron. 2011; 70(1):153-69. PMC: 3108825. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2011.02.043. View

Hudetz A, Liu X, Pillay S . Dynamic repertoire of intrinsic brain states is reduced in propofol-induced unconsciousness. Brain Connect. 2014; 5(1):10-22. PMC: 4313411. DOI: 10.1089/brain.2014.0230. View

Liu X, Ward B, Binder J, Li S, Hudetz A . Scale-free functional connectivity of the brain is maintained in anesthetized healthy participants but not in patients with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome. PLoS One. 2014; 9(3):e92182. PMC: 3960221. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0092182. View

Di Perri C, Bahri M, Amico E, Thibaut A, Heine L, Antonopoulos G . Neural correlates of consciousness in patients who have emerged from a minimally conscious state: a cross-sectional multimodal imaging study. Lancet Neurol. 2016; 15(8):830-842. DOI: 10.1016/S1474-4422(16)00111-3. View

Liu X, Lauer K, Ward B, Li S, Hudetz A . Differential effects of deep sedation with propofol on the specific and nonspecific thalamocortical systems: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Anesthesiology. 2012; 118(1):59-69. PMC: 4080838. DOI: 10.1097/ALN.0b013e318277a801. View

Lee U, Oh G, Kim S, Noh G, Choi B, Mashour G . Brain networks maintain a scale-free organization across consciousness, anesthesia, and recovery: evidence for adaptive reconfiguration. Anesthesiology. 2010; 113(5):1081-91. PMC: 2962769. DOI: 10.1097/ALN.0b013e3181f229b5. View

Tononi G, Edelman G . Consciousness and complexity. Science. 1998; 282(5395):1846-51. DOI: 10.1126/science.282.5395.1846. View

Mashour G, LaRock E . Inverse zombies, anesthesia awareness, and the hard problem of unconsciousness. Conscious Cogn. 2008; 17(4):1163-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2008.06.004. View

Muthukumaraswamy S, Shaw A, Jackson L, Hall J, Moran R, Saxena N . Evidence that Subanesthetic Doses of Ketamine Cause Sustained Disruptions of NMDA and AMPA-Mediated Frontoparietal Connectivity in Humans. J Neurosci. 2015; 35(33):11694-706. PMC: 4540803. DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0903-15.2015. View

10.

Aru J, Bachmann T, Singer W, Melloni L . Distilling the neural correlates of consciousness. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2011; 36(2):737-46. DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2011.12.003. View

11.

Schroter M, Spoormaker V, Schorer A, Wohlschlager A, Czisch M, Kochs E . Spatiotemporal reconfiguration of large-scale brain functional networks during propofol-induced loss of consciousness. J Neurosci. 2012; 32(37):12832-40. PMC: 6703804. DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.6046-11.2012. View

12.

Crone J, Soddu A, Holler Y, Vanhaudenhuyse A, Schurz M, Bergmann J . Altered network properties of the fronto-parietal network and the thalamus in impaired consciousness. Neuroimage Clin. 2014; 4:240-8. PMC: 3895618. DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2013.12.005. View

13.

Tagliazucchi E, von Wegner F, Morzelewski A, Brodbeck V, Borisov S, Jahnke K . Large-scale brain functional modularity is reflected in slow electroencephalographic rhythms across the human non-rapid eye movement sleep cycle. Neuroimage. 2013; 70:327-39. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.12.073. View

14.

Maksimow A, Silfverhuth M, Langsjo J, Kaskinoro K, Georgiadis S, Jaaskelainen S . Directional connectivity between frontal and posterior brain regions is altered with increasing concentrations of propofol. PLoS One. 2014; 9(11):e113616. PMC: 4242654. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113616. View

15.

Solovey G, Alonso L, Yanagawa T, Fujii N, Magnasco M, Cecchi G . Loss of Consciousness Is Associated with Stabilization of Cortical Activity. J Neurosci. 2015; 35(30):10866-77. PMC: 4518057. DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4895-14.2015. View

16.

Wang J, Noh G, Choi B, Ku S, Joo P, Jung W . Suppressed neural complexity during ketamine- and propofol-induced unconsciousness. Neurosci Lett. 2017; 653:320-325. DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2017.05.045. View

17.

Boly M, Perlbarg V, Marrelec G, Schabus M, Laureys S, Doyon J . Hierarchical clustering of brain activity during human nonrapid eye movement sleep. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012; 109(15):5856-61. PMC: 3326471. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1111133109. View

18.

Bassett D, Bullmore E . Small-world brain networks. Neuroscientist. 2006; 12(6):512-23. DOI: 10.1177/1073858406293182. View

19.

Lee H, Mashour G, Noh G, Kim S, Lee U . Reconfiguration of network hub structure after propofol-induced unconsciousness. Anesthesiology. 2013; 119(6):1347-59. PMC: 3873632. DOI: 10.1097/ALN.0b013e3182a8ec8c. View

20.

Murphy M, Bruno M, Riedner B, Boveroux P, Noirhomme Q, Landsness E . Propofol anesthesia and sleep: a high-density EEG study. Sleep. 2011; 34(3):283-91A. PMC: 3041704. DOI: 10.1093/sleep/34.3.283. View