Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Subconsciousness and No Awareness01:15

Subconsciousness and No Awareness

225
The concept of subconscious awareness refers to the processing of information below the level of conscious thought, which significantly influences both behaviors and decisions. It is also known as waking subconscious awareness. This complex level of cognition operates without the direct awareness of the individual, facilitating rapid and simultaneous handling of multiple information streams.
An illustrative example of subconscious processing is its role in problem-solving. Often, individuals...
225
Understanding Consciousness01:23

Understanding Consciousness

284
Consciousness can be defined as the state of being aware of and able to think about one's existence, sensations, and surroundings. It encompasses two major components: awareness and arousal. Awareness pertains to the recognition of environmental stimuli and internal states. At the same time, arousal refers to the physiological readiness to engage with these stimuli, which varies significantly between states like sleep and wakefulness.
Sleep, a crucial state, is characterized by reduced...
284
CNS Depressants: Barbiturates and Benzodiazepines01:14

CNS Depressants: Barbiturates and Benzodiazepines

204
CNS depressants include drugs from the category of barbiturates and benzodiazepines. They are valuable medications for managing anxiety disorders and insomnia. Barbiturates, once used to induce and maintain sleep, have been replaced mainly by benzodiazepines due to barbiturate's toxicity, tolerance, and overdose risks. They interact with GABAA receptors, leading to sedation at low doses and potentially coma and death at higher doses. Phenobarbital, a long-acting barbiturate, possesses...
204
General Anesthesia: Overview01:24

General Anesthesia: Overview

187
Anesthesia is a medical procedure that uses drugs for CNS suppression to enable painless surgeries and procedures. The selection of anesthetics is influenced by their pharmacokinetic properties, side effects, and patient characteristics. Various types of anesthesia include general, local, regional, spinal, and inhalational.
General anesthesia induces unconsciousness in the whole body, while the others target specific areas or sensations. It is administered to minimize adverse effects, maintain...
187
Stages of General Anesthesia01:22

Stages of General Anesthesia

344
Various sedation levels offer significant advantages in facilitating procedural interventions for patients undergoing medical or invasive surgical procedures. These levels span from anxiolysis to general anesthesia, providing a spectrum of sedative effects to cater to specific patient needs. Anxiolysis reduces anxiety and is achieved through minimal sedation, enabling patients to remain awake and responsive while feeling more at ease during the procedure. This level can benefit minor...
344
Sedatives and Hypnotics: Overview01:23

Sedatives and Hypnotics: Overview

253
Sedatives are drugs that alleviate anxiety, while hypnotics induce sleep. Both classes of medication suppress neuronal activity, leading to a calming effect for sedatives and facilitating sleep for hypnotics.
Sedative-hypnotics are categorized into barbiturates, benzodiazepines (BZDs), and non-benzodiazepines or Z-drugs. These drugs work by suppressing central nervous system activity, and this suppression is dose-dependent. Older sedative medications, like barbiturates, follow a linear curve in...
253

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Publisher Correction: Current knowledge and challenges of sepsis-associated encephalopathy.

Intensive care medicine·2026
Same author

Burden of and risk factors for neurological complications in critical illness.

Intensive care medicine·2026
Same author

Current knowledge and challenges of sepsis-associated encephalopathy.

Intensive care medicine·2026
Same author

Mapping the Comatose Brain: Can Machine Learning Uncover Paths to Recovery?

Critical care medicine·2026
Same author

Correction: Sedation Practices in Mechanically Ventilated Neurocritical Care Patients from 19 Countries: An International Cohort Study.

Neurocritical care·2026
Same author

A machine learning model to identify pulmonary embolism in patients admitted to intensive care.

Computers in biology and medicine·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 26, 2025

Author Spotlight: Enhancing Cerebral Ischemia Research with a Simplified Rat Model
03:37

Author Spotlight: Enhancing Cerebral Ischemia Research with a Simplified Rat Model

Published on: July 5, 2024

449

Neuroscience of coma.

Abid Y Qureshi1, Robert D Stevens2

  • 1Department of Neurology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas, MO, United States.

Handbook of Clinical Neurology
|February 22, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Disorders of consciousness involve distinct arousal and awareness systems. Damage to the arousal system depresses consciousness, while disruptions in awareness networks lead to a lack of awareness, impacting the unified experience.

Keywords:
Arousal systemsAwareness systemsBrain connectivityCerebral integrationComaConsciousnessDisorders of consciousnessLarge-scale cortical networks

More Related Videos

SECONDs Administration Guidelines: A Fast Tool to Assess Consciousness in Brain-injured Patients
11:05

SECONDs Administration Guidelines: A Fast Tool to Assess Consciousness in Brain-injured Patients

Published on: February 6, 2021

14.4K
Induction of an Isoelectric Brain State to Investigate the Impact of Endogenous Synaptic Activity on Neuronal Excitability In Vivo
10:19

Induction of an Isoelectric Brain State to Investigate the Impact of Endogenous Synaptic Activity on Neuronal Excitability In Vivo

Published on: March 31, 2016

8.0K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 26, 2025

Author Spotlight: Enhancing Cerebral Ischemia Research with a Simplified Rat Model
03:37

Author Spotlight: Enhancing Cerebral Ischemia Research with a Simplified Rat Model

Published on: July 5, 2024

449
SECONDs Administration Guidelines: A Fast Tool to Assess Consciousness in Brain-injured Patients
11:05

SECONDs Administration Guidelines: A Fast Tool to Assess Consciousness in Brain-injured Patients

Published on: February 6, 2021

14.4K
Induction of an Isoelectric Brain State to Investigate the Impact of Endogenous Synaptic Activity on Neuronal Excitability In Vivo
10:19

Induction of an Isoelectric Brain State to Investigate the Impact of Endogenous Synaptic Activity on Neuronal Excitability In Vivo

Published on: March 31, 2016

8.0K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Science
  • Neurology

Background:

  • Coma and disorders of consciousness are conceptualized through two interconnected systems: arousal and awareness.
  • The arousal system originates in the mesopontine tegmentum and monoamine nuclei, projecting to the thalamus and cortex.
  • The awareness system comprises large-scale cortical networks crucial for processing internal and external information.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To delineate the neuroanatomical pathways and functional roles of the arousal and awareness systems in consciousness.
  • To explain how lesions in these systems lead to specific deficits in arousal and awareness.
  • To contextualize current integrative theories of consciousness within these neurobiological frameworks.

Main Methods:

  • Review and synthesis of neuroanatomical and functional data on consciousness.
  • Analysis of lesion studies impacting arousal and awareness pathways.
  • Discussion of theoretical models like Integrated Information Theory and Global Neuronal Workspace.

Main Results:

  • The arousal system, involving the mesopontine tegmentum and monoamine nuclei, regulates wakefulness and is modulated by the thalamus and basal forebrain.
  • The awareness system relies on distributed cortical networks for representing external and internal states, with the thalamus playing a regulatory role.
  • Damage to arousal pathways results in depressed arousal levels, while damage to awareness networks causes a loss of awareness.

Conclusions:

  • Consciousness depends on the intricate interplay between distinct arousal and awareness systems.
  • Understanding these systems provides a neurobiological basis for disorders of consciousness.
  • Integrative theories attempt to bridge the gap between neural mechanisms and subjective conscious experience.