Changes in effective connectivity by propofol sedation.

Abstract

Mechanisms of propofol-induced loss of consciousness remain poorly understood. Recent fMRI studies have shown decreases in functional connectivity during unconsciousness induced by this anesthetic agent. Functional connectivity does not provide information of directional changes in the dynamics observed during unconsciousness. The aim of the present study was to investigate, in healthy humans during an auditory task, the changes in effective connectivity resulting from propofol induced loss of consciousness. We used Dynamic Causal Modeling for fMRI (fMRI-DCM) to assess how causal connectivity is influenced by the anesthetic agent in the auditory system. Our results suggest that the dynamic observed in the auditory system during unconsciousness induced by propofol, can result in a mixture of two effects: a local inhibitory connectivity increase and a decrease in the effective connectivity in sensory cortices.

• Authors: Francisco Gómez, Christophe Phillips, Andrea Soddu, Melanie Boly, Pierre Boveroux, Audrey Vanhaudenhuyse, Marie-Aurélie Bruno, Olivia Gosseries, Vincent Bonhomme, Steven Laureys, Quentin Noirhomme
• Journal: PloS one (PLoS One) Vol. 8 Issue 8 Pg. e71370 ( 2013) ISSN: 1932-6203 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 23977030 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Anesthetics, Intravenous
• Narcotics
• Propofol

Topics

• Acoustic Stimulation
• Adult
• Anesthesia
• Anesthesia, Intravenous
• Anesthetics, Intravenous (administration & dosage)
• Auditory Cortex (drug effects, physiology)
• Auditory Perception (physiology)
• Bayes Theorem
• Brain Mapping
• Female
• Healthy Volunteers
• Humans
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Male
• Narcotics (administration & dosage)
• Neural Pathways (drug effects, physiology)
• Propofol (administration & dosage)
• Unconsciousness