Consciousness and the outside world: is there anyone listening?
editorial · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 35249703.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1016/j.bja.2022.02.001.
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Abstract
Sedated patients have graded levels of consciousness and perceptual connection with the outside world. Disconnection is associated with widespread changes in the electroencephalogram, whereas full unconsciousness is linked with decreased activity specifically in the deep midline regions of the brain. These findings can be interpreted within the predictive coding model of consciousness as differences in model generation vs discrepancy detection. Anaesthetists should be cognisant that apparently unresponsive patients might still have some ongoing partially disconnected consciousness activity.
Medical subject headings
- Consciousness
- Unconsciousness