Dataset Information

Whole-brain modelling identifies distinct but convergent paths to unconsciousness in anaesthesia and disorders of consciousness.

ABSTRACT: The human brain entertains rich spatiotemporal dynamics, which are drastically reconfigured when consciousness is lost due to anaesthesia or disorders of consciousness (DOC). Here, we sought to identify the neurobiological mechanisms that explain how transient pharmacological intervention and chronic neuroanatomical injury can lead to common reconfigurations of neural activity. We developed and systematically perturbed a neurobiologically realistic model of whole-brain haemodynamic signals. By incorporating PET data about the cortical distribution of GABA receptors, our computational model reveals a key role of spatially-specific local inhibition for reproducing the functional MRI activity observed during anaesthesia with the GABA-ergic agent propofol. Additionally, incorporating diffusion MRI data obtained from DOC patients reveals that the dynamics that characterise loss of consciousness can also emerge from randomised neuroanatomical connectivity. Our results generalise between anaesthesia and DOC datasets, demonstrating how increased inhibition and connectome perturbation represent distinct neurobiological paths towards the characteristic activity of the unconscious brain.

SUBMITTER: Luppi AI

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9021270 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Whole-brain modelling identifies distinct but convergent paths to unconsciousness in anaesthesia and disorders of consciousness.

Luppi Andrea I AI Mediano Pedro A M PAM Rosas Fernando E FE Allanson Judith J Pickard John D JD Williams Guy B GB Craig Michael M MM Finoia Paola P Peattie Alexander R D ARD Coppola Peter P Owen Adrian M AM Naci Lorina L Menon David K DK Bor Daniel D Stamatakis Emmanuel A EA

Communications biology 20220420 1

The human brain entertains rich spatiotemporal dynamics, which are drastically reconfigured when consciousness is lost due to anaesthesia or disorders of consciousness (DOC). Here, we sought to identify the neurobiological mechanisms that explain how transient pharmacological intervention and chronic neuroanatomical injury can lead to common reconfigurations of neural activity. We developed and systematically perturbed a neurobiologically realistic model of whole-brain haemodynamic signals. By i ...[more]

PMID: 35444252

Similar Datasets

Project description:Hysteresis, the discrepancy in forward and reverse pathways of state transitions, is observed during changing levels of consciousness. Identifying the underlying mechanism of hysteresis phenomena in the brain will enhance the ability to understand, monitor, and control state transitions related to consciousness. We hypothesized that hysteresis in brain networks shares the same underlying mechanism of hysteresis as other biological and non-biological networks. In particular, we hypothesized that the principle of explosive synchronization, which can mediate abrupt state transitions, would be critical to explaining hysteresis in the brain during conscious state transitions. We analyzed high-density electroencephalogram (EEG) that was acquired in healthy human volunteers during conscious state transitions induced by the general anesthetics sevoflurane or ketamine. We developed a novel method to monitor the temporal evolution of EEG networks in a parameter space, which consists of the strength and topography of EEG-based networks. Furthermore, we studied conditions of explosive synchronization in anatomically informed human brain network models. We identified hysteresis in the trajectory of functional brain networks during state transitions. The model study and empirical data analysis explained various hysteresis phenomena during the loss and recovery of consciousness in a principled way: (1) more potent anesthetics induce a larger hysteresis; (2) a larger range of EEG frequencies facilitates transitions into unconsciousness and impedes the return of consciousness; (3) hysteresis of connectivity is larger than that of EEG power; and (4) the structure and strength of functional brain networks reconfigure differently during the loss vs. recovery of consciousness. We conclude that the hysteresis phenomena observed during the loss and recovery of consciousness are generic network features. Furthermore, the state transitions are grounded in the same principle as state transitions in complex non-biological networks, especially during perturbation. These findings suggest the possibility of predicting and modulating hysteresis of conscious state transitions in large-scale brain networks.

Dataset Information

Whole-brain modelling identifies distinct but convergent paths to unconsciousness in anaesthesia and disorders of consciousness.

Publications

Whole-brain modelling identifies distinct but convergent paths to unconsciousness in anaesthesia and disorders of consciousness.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets