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Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Optogenetic Activation of Afferent Pathways in Brain Slices and Modulation of Responses by Volatile Anesthetics
Published on: July 23, 2020
Thalamocortical model for a propofol-induced alpha-rhythm associated with loss of consciousness
Shinung Ching1, Aylin Cimenser, Patrick L Purdon
1Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA. shinung@neurostat.mit.edu
Abstract:
Recent data reveal that the general anesthetic propofol gives rise to a frontal α-rhythm at dose levels sufficient to induce loss of consciousness. In this work, a computational model is developed that suggests the network mechanisms responsible for such a rhythm. It is shown that propofol can alter the dynamics in thalamocortical loops, leading to persistent and synchronous α-activity. The synchrony that forms in the cortex by virtue of the involvement of the thalamus may impede responsiveness to external stimuli, thus providing a correlate for the unconscious state.
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