Consciousness-specific dynamic interactions of brain integration and functional diversity
Nature Communications October 10, 2019 A. Luppi, Michael M. Craig, I. Pappas et al.
Consciousness relies on spatio-temporal interactions between brain integration and functional diversity. Combining graph theory and dynamic functional connectivity, resting-state fMRI data from awake volunteers, propofol-anaesthetised volunteers, and patients with disorders of consciousness showed that cortical networks are especially affected during loss of consciousness in temporal states of high integration, exhibiting reduced functional diversity and compromised informational capacity, while thalamo-cortical functional disconnections emerge during states of higher segregation. Posterior regions of the brain's default mode network show reductions in both functional diversity and integration during unconsciousness. These overlapping reductions in diversity and integration may represent a generalisable biomarker of loss of consciousness.