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Consciousness-specific dynamic interactions of brain integration and functional diversity.

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

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Authors

Luppi, Andrea I 
Craig, Michael M 
Williams, Guy B 

Abstract

Prominent theories of consciousness emphasise different aspects of neurobiology, such as the integration and diversity of information processing within the brain. Here, we combine graph theory and dynamic functional connectivity to compare resting-state functional MRI data from awake volunteers, propofol-anaesthetised volunteers, and patients with disorders of consciousness, in order to identify consciousness-specific patterns of brain function. We demonstrate that cortical networks are especially affected by loss of consciousness during temporal states of high integration, exhibiting reduced functional diversity and compromised informational capacity, whereas thalamo-cortical functional disconnections emerge during states of higher segregation. Spatially, posterior regions of the brain's default mode network exhibit reductions in both functional diversity and integration with the rest of the brain during unconsciousness. These results show that human consciousness relies on spatio-temporal interactions between brain integration and functional diversity, whose breakdown may represent a generalisable biomarker of loss of consciousness, with potential relevance for clinical practice.

Description

Keywords

Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Anesthetics, Intravenous, Brain, Consciousness, Consciousness Disorders, Entropy, Female, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Middle Aged, Propofol, Unconsciousness, Wakefulness, Young Adult

Journal Title

Nat Commun

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2041-1723
2041-1723

Volume Title

10

Publisher

Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Rights

All rights reserved
Sponsorship
James S McDonnell Foundation (via MRC) (220020156)
James S McDonnell Foundation (via Weill Cornell Medicine) (220020156)
Medical Research Council (MR/M009041/1)
Medical Research Council (MR/M024873/1)
This work was supported by grants from the UK Medical Research Council (U.1055.01.002.00001.01) [to AMO and JDP]; The James S. McDonnell Foundation [to AMO and JDP]; The Canada Excellence Research Chairs program (215063) [to AMO]; The Canadian Institute for Advanced research (CIFAR) [to AMO, DKM and EAS]; The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR, UK), Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre and NIHR Senior Investigator Awards [to JDP and DKM]; The British Oxygen Professorship of the Royal College of Anaesthetists [to DKM]; The Cambridge International Trust and the Howard Sidney Sussex Studentship [to MMC]; The Oon Khye Beng Ch'Hia Tsio Studentship for Research in Preventive Medicine, Downing College, University of Cambridge [to IP]; The Evelyn Trust, Cambridge and the EoE CLAHRC fellowship [to JA]; The L’Oreal-Unesco for Women in Science Excellence Research Fellowship [to LN]; The Stephen Erskine Fellowship, Queens’ College, University of Cambridge [to EAS] and the Gates Cambridge Trust [to AIL]. The research was also supported by the NIHR Brain Injury Healthcare Technology Co-operative based at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and University of Cambridge. Computing infrastructure at the Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre (WBIC-HPHI) was funded by the MRC research infrastructure award (MR/M009041/1).