Breakdown of within- and between-network Resting State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Connectivity during Propofol-induced Loss of Consciousness
Anesthesiology September 30, 2010 Pierre Boveroux, Audrey Vanhaudenhuyse, Marie‐Aurélie Bruno et al. 645 citations
Propofol-induced unconsciousness is linked to decreased connectivity within frontoparietal networks (the default-mode and executive-control networks) and between the thalamus and these networks, with a negative correlation between thalamic and cortical activity emerging during unconsciousness. In contrast, connectivity in low-level sensory cortices (auditory and visual networks) is preserved, including their thalamocortical connections. Loss of consciousness is associated with a breakdown of cross-modal interactions between visual and auditory networks. These findings suggest that unconsciousness results from disrupted communication between sensory and higher-order frontoparietal cortices, preventing conscious perception.