Is General Anesthesia Modulated By The Viscosity and Volume of ISF?

Abstract

The cause of anesthesia is still unknown, despite the excessive usage and the perfection of its application. The multifactorial nature of the phenomenon and the failure of many theories thus far have consolidated the belief that there is no unifying hypothesis. We think otherwise. The physical aspects of anesthesia lead us to a single cause. We regard anesthesia as the cessation of the dynamic structural connectivity of the brain. This perspective reveals the viscosity and volume of ISF as the main factors that modulate anesthesia. We formulate our theory as a set of hypotheses that form a consistent basis. We try to back up each hypothesis with the available knowledge and we make some speculative extrapolations in order to create a complete framework. We clearly point out the open issues that need further observation and discuss the ways for verification. In the end, if viscosity and volume of ISF are the main factors modulating anesthesia, as we conjectured, its consequences will not be limited to the very concept of anesthesia but will reach to understanding of the mechanisms of memory formation, analgesia, and consciousness. Surprisingly, it can also shed light on a seemingly unrelated phenomenon: epilepsy, which can be considered a dual case of anesthesia.