By monitoring brain activity in anesthetized rats undergoing experimentally-induced cardiac arrest, researchers at the University of Michigan recorded signatures and patterns characteristic of conscious perception within 30 seconds after clinical death. The findings, which are published in the journal PNAS, represent the first systematic investigation of the neurophysiological state of the brain following cardiac arrest. “This study, performed in animals, is the first dealing with what happens to the neurophysiological state of the dying brain," lead author Jimo Borjigin of the University of Michigan Medical School said in a press release. "It will form the foundation for future human studies investigating mental experiences occurring in the dying brain, including seeing light during cardiac arrest.” In all of the test subjects, the cessation of blood flow through the heart and brain was followed by a temporary, widespread surge of highly synchronized activity similar to that of a highly aroused brain. According to senior author George Mansour, M.D., Ph.D., the activity had been predicted by the research team; however, the high, synchronized levels came as a surprise to everyone. “At near-death, many known electrical signatures of consciousness exceeded levels found in the waking state, suggesting that the brain is capable of well-organized electrical activity during the early stage of clinical death,” he noted.
Posted on: Tue, 13 Aug 2013 00:43:01 +0000
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