MIT researchers have discovered that the common sedative propofol disrupts the brain's ability to control highly excitable neurons, leading to a loss of consciousness. By studying brain activity in rhesus macaque monkeys, they found that propofol inhibits inhibitory neurons, causing escalating instability in brain activity. This new theory adds to the complex understanding of how anesthetics work, with potential implications for improving the safety of various anesthetic drugs.
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.
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, published in Neuron, could help develop better tools for monitoring anesthesia and may apply to other anesthetic drugs and neuropsychiatric conditions.
MIT neuroscientists have discovered that the anesthesia drug propofol induces unconsciousness by destabilizing the brain's balance between stability and excitability, leading to increasingly unstable brain activity. This finding could improve anesthesia monitoring and control, enhancing the safety and effectiveness of surgical procedures.
A Miami nurse at HCA Florida Mercy Hospital, Groennou Nieves, has been suspended by the state Board of Nursing after being found unconscious in a restroom with a missing surgical drug, propofol, in her IV line. She will need to undergo evaluation and follow treatment recommendations for substance abuse before potentially returning to work in 2025. Nieves tested positive for cocaine in a drug test, and her state license suspension will continue until she is cleared by an evaluator.
