"How Anesthesia Induces Unconsciousness by Disrupting Brain Activity"

MIT neuroscientists have discovered that the anesthesia drug propofol induces unconsciousness by disrupting the brain's balance between stability and excitability, leading to escalating instability. This finding, achieved through a novel technique for analyzing neuron activity, could help develop better tools for monitoring anesthesia and potentially apply to other brain states and neuropsychiatric disorders.