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bioRxiv · 10.1101/358168

Reduced repertoire of cortical microstates and neuronal ensembles in medically-induced loss of consciousness

Wenzel, M.·Han, S.·Smith, E. H.·Erik, H.·Greger, B.·House, P. A.·Yuste, R.
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Abstract

Medically-induced loss of consciousness (mLOC) has been linked to a macroscale break-down of brain connectivity, yet the neural microcircuit correlates of mLOC remain unknown. We applied non-linear t-stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) and Lempel-Ziv-Welch complexity analysis to two-photon calcium imaging and local field potential (LFP) measurements of cortical microcircuit activity across anesthetic depth in mice, and to micro-electrode array recordings in human subjects. We find that mLOC disrupts population activity patterns by i) a reduction of discriminable network microstates and ii) a reduction of independent neuronal ensembles. These alterations are not explained by a simple reduction of neuronal activity and reveal abnormal functional microcircuits. Thus, normal neuronal ensemble dynamics could contribute to the emergence of conscious states.

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Wenzel, M., Han, S., Smith, E. H., Erik, H., Greger, B., House, P. A., Yuste, R.. 2018-07-13. Reduced repertoire of cortical microstates and neuronal ensembles in medically-induced loss of consciousness. https://doi.org/10.1101/358168

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