Modeling an auditory stimulated brain under altered states of consciousness using the generalized Ising model
NeuroImage September 12, 2020 Sivayini Kandeepan, J. Rudas, Francisco Gómez et al.
Propofol, the most common general anesthetic, induces loss of consciousness through mechanisms that remain poorly understood. Using the generalized Ising model (GIM) to analyze fMRI data from healthy subjects listening to an audio clip, brain activity was modeled during wakefulness, mild sedation, deep sedation, and recovery. A novel inter-subject correlation technique captured common synchronization across participants. The GIM, modified to incorporate the naturalistic external stimulus, successfully fitted empirical task fMRI data at a temperature well above the critical temperature. This is the first mathematical modeling of human brain activity responding to real-life stimuli at different conscious levels, potentially aiding assessment of consciousness in patients with disorders of consciousness.