Evoked Alpha Power is Reduced in Disconnected Consciousness During Sleep and Anesthesia

Alpha Rhythm; Anesthesia; Cerebral Cortex; Consciousness; Evoked Potentials, Motor; Humans; Sleep; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; Unconsciousness; Wakefulness

Abstract :

[en] Sleep and anesthesia entail alterations in conscious experience. Conscious experience may be absent (unconsciousness) or take the form of dreaming, a state in which sensory stimuli are not incorporated into conscious experience (disconnected consciousness). Recent work has identified features of cortical activity that distinguish conscious from unconscious states; however, less is known about how cortical activity differs between disconnected states and normal wakefulness. We employed transcranial magnetic stimulation–electroencephalography (TMS–EEG) over parietal regions across states of anesthesia and sleep to assess whether evoked oscillatory activity differed in disconnected states. We hypothesized that alpha activity, which may regulate perception of sensory stimuli, is altered in the disconnected states of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and ketamine anesthesia. Compared to wakefulness, evoked alpha power (8–12 Hz) was decreased during disconnected consciousness. In contrast, in unconscious states of propofol anesthesia and non-REM (NREM) sleep, evoked low-gamma power (30–40 Hz) was decreased compared to wakefulness or states of disconnected consciousness. These findings were confirmed in subjects in which dream reports were obtained following serial awakenings from NREM sleep. By examining signatures of evoked cortical activity across conscious states, we identified novel evidence that suppression of evoked alpha activity may represent a promising marker of sensory disconnection. © 2018, The Author(s).

Disciplines :

Neurosciences & behavior

Author, co-author :

Darracq, M.; Department of Anesthesiology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 53792, United States

Funk, C. M.; Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 53719, United States

Polyakov, D.; Department of Anesthesiology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 53792, United States

Riedner, B.; Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 53719, United States

Gosseries, Olivia ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Consciousness-Coma Science Group

Nieminen, Jaakko O.; Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University School of Science, Espoo, Finland

BONHOMME, Vincent ; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège - CHU > Département d'Anesthésie et réanimation > Service d'anesthésie - réanimation

Brichant, Jean-François ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences cliniques > Anesthésie et réanimation

Boly, Mélanie; Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 53719, United States, Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 53792, United States

Laureys, Steven ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Consciousness-Coma Science Group

Tononi, Giulio; Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 53719, United States

Sanders, R. D.; Department of Anesthesiology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 53792, United States

Language :

English

Title :

Evoked Alpha Power is Reduced in Disconnected Consciousness During Sleep and Anesthesia

Publication date :

2018

Journal title :

Scientific Reports

eISSN :

2045-2322

Publisher :

Nature Publishing Group

Volume :

Issue :

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Funders :

European Commission5P20MH077967Research Down Syndrome: K23 AG055700, R03NS096379Academy of Finland: 294625, 265680ARC-06/11-340Mind Science FoundationJames S. McDonnell FoundationP01AT004952EU-H2020-FETOPEN-GA686764, EU-H2020-FETFLAGSHIP-HBP-SGA1-GA720270, FNRSMedtronicPhilips Oral Healthcare

Available on ORBi :

since 17 January 2020

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