Different brain states produce different waves of electrical activity, with the brain entering deeply quiescent states during general anesthesia or coma, according to a Medical Xpress report.
Researchers from MIT and Harvard University have discovered a way to help researchers better monitor states in which burst suppression, or the quiescent state that occurs during anesthesia, happens.
During burst suppression, the brain is quiet for up to several seconds at a time, punctuated by short bursts of activity. The researchers studied burst suppression in the anesthetized brain, hoping to discover a fundamental mechanism for how the pattern arises.
The researchers found that scientists can mathematically model the flow of ions into and out of the cell body, through the membrane. By using certain anesthetic drugs to reduce the brain's use of cell energy, the researchers were able to generate burst-suppression patterns consistent with those in human patients.
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Researchers from MIT and Harvard University have discovered a way to help researchers better monitor states in which burst suppression, or the quiescent state that occurs during anesthesia, happens.
During burst suppression, the brain is quiet for up to several seconds at a time, punctuated by short bursts of activity. The researchers studied burst suppression in the anesthetized brain, hoping to discover a fundamental mechanism for how the pattern arises.
The researchers found that scientists can mathematically model the flow of ions into and out of the cell body, through the membrane. By using certain anesthetic drugs to reduce the brain's use of cell energy, the researchers were able to generate burst-suppression patterns consistent with those in human patients.
Related Articles on Anesthesia:
Anesthesiologist Dr. Edward Lin Invents Device to Improve Complex Chronic Wound Care
Oak Brook Surgical Center Physician Dr. Eugene Lipov Develops Treatment for PTSD
Mayo Clinic Anesthesia May Increase Risk of ADHD in Children