Network mechanism of loss&recovery of consciousness... U.Lee
Room: 100
Department of Physics and Astronomy
PHYSICS & ASTRONOMY COLLOQUIUM
Dr. UnCheol Lee
Center for Consciousness Science
Department of Anesthesiology
University of Michigan
"Network mechanism of the loss and recovery of consciousness under a large brain perturbation"
ABSTRACT
Over the past decade, it has become clear that there are fundamental similarities in the neural correlates of physiological (sleep), pharmacological (anesthesia), and pathological (vegetative state) states of unconsciousness, especially with regard to cortical networks. Although an exciting development in our scientific understanding, a critical question emerges: if the neural correlates are similar, why are the recovery profiles so radically different? For instance, sleep and anesthesia are reversible, whereas vegetative state is irreversible. Despite the important neuroscientific and clinical implications, it has to be elucidated the underlying mechanism of empirically observed diverse recovery progresses from unconsciousness. We have recently taken a highly innovative approach to this question using network criticality and network synchronization in physics. In this presentation, I will explain how network criticality induces diverse state transition to the brain, as well as shaping a typical brain connectivity, that requires to understand the relationship between criticality, connectivity, and state transition in the brain network. Our goal is to identify a unified network mechanism of various state transition between consciousness and unconsciousness under a large brain perturbation and to modulate abnormal loss and recovery based on a principled network mechanism. Identifying a network mechanism of diverse state transition may provide a unified framework for understanding the radically different conscious state transitions associated with sleep, anesthesia, and disorders of consciousness.
