Commentary: Enhanced Interplay of Neuronal Coherence and Coupling in the Dying Human Brain

Greyson, Bruce; Lommel, Pim van; Fenwick, Peter

doi:10.3389/fnagi.2022.899491

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…2 Apart from rodents, unusual neurophysiological activity around the time of dying has also been reported from humans in several studies already (Auyong et al, 2010;Barbato, 2001;Barbato et al, 2017;Chawla et al, 2009Chawla et al, , 2017Gambrell, 2005;Masman et al, 2016;Norton et al, 2017;Vicente et al, 2022). It is still debated how these neurophysiological activities can be interpreted (Greyson et al, 2013(Greyson et al, , 2022Norton et al, 2017). Nevertheless, it is reasonable to assume that instances of terminal and paradoxical lucidity will typically go hand in hand with changes in neuronal activity.…”

Section: Terminal Vs Paradoxical Lucidity: Further Clarificationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Importance of the Exceptional in Tackling Riddles of Consciousness and Unusual Episodes of Lucidity

Nahm

2022

JAnExCog

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The problem of how biochemical processes in the brain give rise to conscious experience is still unanswered. This paper aims at stimulating the debate surrounding this enigma by advocating the study of unusual and anomalous aspects of consciousness. For this purpose, the contents of this paper are organized in three parts. In the first part, I provide a brief overview on unsolved riddles of the mind. These include unusual episodes of lucidity that have been termed terminal lucidity and paradoxical lucidity. Because the use of these terms has sometimes been inappropriate in recent literature, I clarify the basic meanings of these two concepts in the second part. The third part contains suggestions for future research. Specifically, I argue that the field of studies into episodes of lucidity in dementias and the field of studies into end-of-life experiences, such as near-death visions, should engage in an active dialogue in order to build bridges between these disciplines. Such a dialogue will enable a better understanding of the whole spectrum, and thus, possible circumstances, causes and underpinnings of lucid episodes. In sum, this paper argues that the study of lucid episodes such as terminal lucidity, paradoxical lucidity, and related occurrences holds enormous significance for improving our understanding of brain functions and accompanying states of consciousness – from a practice-orientated perspective in the contexts of the dementias and dealing with end-of-life experiences, and from a theoretical perspective in the context of the scientific debate about the nature of consciousness.

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Section: Terminal Vs Paradoxical Lucidity: Further Clarificationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Importance of the Exceptional in Tackling Riddles of Consciousness and Unusual Episodes of Lucidity

Nahm

2022

JAnExCog

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“…These data provide evidence that the human brain can generate organized activity near death, with consistent findings across species. These coordinated activities were observed before the onset of ventricular fibrillation or asystole 41,45 (ambiguous in Vicente et al, 40 but see their fig. 2A and the commentary), with timing consistent with that observed in rodent models of asphyxia 37,38 and drug intoxication 39 but incompatible with the end-of-life electrical surges that appeared within 3 to 6 min of the complete loss of measurable blood pressure.…”

Section: Translation Of Basic Science Back To Humansmentioning

confidence: 96%

Consciousness and the Dying Brain

Mashour,

Lee,

Pal

et al. 2024

Anesthesiology

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The near-death experience has been reported since antiquity and is often characterized by the perception of light, interactions with other entities, and life recall. Near-death experiences can occur in a variety of situations, but they have been studied systematically after in-hospital cardiac arrest, with an incidence of 10 to 20%. Long attributed to metaphysical or supernatural causes, there have been recent advances in understanding the neurophysiologic basis of this unique category of conscious experience. This article reviews the epidemiology and neurobiology of near-death experiences, with a focus on clinical and laboratory evidence for a surge of neurophysiologic gamma oscillations and cortical connectivity after cardiac and respiratory arrest.

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“…The persistence of these rapid oscillations up to the moment of the isoelectric state and their resurgence at irregular intervals after its onset are also controversial. They have not been documented in all studies (see Chawla et al, 2017 ; Vincente et al, 2022 ; Xu et al, 2023 for report of such late surges of fast activity and Clute and Levy, 1990 ; Norton et al, 2017 ; Matory et al, 2021 for their non-occurrence) and it has been suggested that they may, at least in part, reflect muscle contractions rather than brain activity (Greyson et al, 2022 ).…”

Section: Temporal Organisation Of Cortical Activitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Variation and convergence in the morpho-functional properties of the mammalian neocortex

Mahon

2024

Front. Syst. Neurosci.

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Man's natural inclination to classify and hierarchize the living world has prompted neurophysiologists to explore possible differences in brain organisation between mammals, with the aim of understanding the diversity of their behavioural repertoires. But what really distinguishes the human brain from that of a platypus, an opossum or a rodent? In this review, we compare the structural and electrical properties of neocortical neurons in the main mammalian radiations and examine their impact on the functioning of the networks they form. We discuss variations in overall brain size, number of neurons, length of their dendritic trees and density of spines, acknowledging their increase in humans as in most large-brained species. Our comparative analysis also highlights a remarkable consistency, particularly pronounced in marsupial and placental mammals, in the cell typology, intrinsic and synaptic electrical properties of pyramidal neuron subtypes, and in their organisation into functional circuits. These shared cellular and network characteristics contribute to the emergence of strikingly similar large-scale physiological and pathological brain dynamics across a wide range of species. These findings support the existence of a core set of neural principles and processes conserved throughout mammalian evolution, from which a number of species-specific adaptations appear, likely allowing distinct functional needs to be met in a variety of environmental contexts.

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Commentary: Enhanced Interplay of Neuronal Coherence and Coupling in the Dying Human Brain

Cited by 5 publications

References 19 publications

The Importance of the Exceptional in Tackling Riddles of Consciousness and Unusual Episodes of Lucidity

The Importance of the Exceptional in Tackling Riddles of Consciousness and Unusual Episodes of Lucidity

Consciousness and the Dying Brain

Variation and convergence in the morpho-functional properties of the mammalian neocortex

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