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Assessing Pupil-linked Changes in Locus Coeruleus-mediated Arousal Elicited by Trigeminal Stimulation
Published on: November 26, 2019
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Cortical signatures linked to behavior quantitatively track arousal levels.
Sijia Gao1, Yelena Bibineyshvili1, Seyed A Safavynia1
1Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065.
Summary
Researchers identified "Arousal Units" (AU), a novel dynamical pattern, to track arousal fluctuations during consciousness recovery. This method aids anesthesia monitoring and coma recovery assessment in both animal models and human patients.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Physiology
- Medical Monitoring
Background:
- Current assessments of consciousness disorders struggle to quantify arousal fluctuations and transitions between states.
- Characterizing dynamic changes in arousal is crucial for understanding recovery from brain injury and anesthesia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and validate a novel dynamical pattern, termed Arousal Units (AU), for assessing arousal level fluctuations.
- To demonstrate the generalizability and reliability of AUs across different models and patient populations.
Main Methods:
- Identification of a repeated, temporally discrete dynamical pattern in rodent models of anesthesia and coma recovery.
- Prospective validation of these patterns, labeled Arousal Units (AU), in neonatal humans and adult patients.
- Analysis of the link between AUs, spectral power, breathing frequency, and motor changes.
Main Results:
- Arousal Units (AU) were identified as a reliable dynamical pattern linked to spectral power, breathing frequency, and motor changes.
- AUs were validated in both animal models (rodents) and human patients (neonates and adults).
- Distinctive cortical patterns within AUs can be transformed into reliable arousal indices.
Conclusions:
- Arousal Units (AU) provide a reliable method for quantifying arousal fluctuations and transitions in consciousness.
- The generalizability of AUs across species and conditions suggests their utility in clinical settings.
- Extracting these stereotyped dynamics can improve anesthesia monitoring, coma recovery tracking, and identification of cognitive motor dissociation.
