Neurophysiological evaluation of convergent afferents innervating the human esophagus and area of referred pain on the anterior chest wall

Pigareva

2015

Front. Syst. Neurosci.

Up to the present time cerebral cortex was considered as substrate for realization of the highest psychical functions including consciousness. Cortical sensory areas were regarded as structures specialized for processing of information coming from one particular modality (visual, auditory, somatosensory, and so on). However, studies of cortical activity in sleep-wake cycle demonstrated that during sleep the same neurons in the same cortical areas switch to processing of signals coming from the various visceral systems. After awakening these visceral responses disappear and the neurons return to processing of the information coming from the exteroreceptors. These observations indicate that most likely cortical areas are universal processors, which perform particular operations with incoming information independent of its origin. During wakefulness, results of the information processing on the cortical level should be directed to structures connected with organization of behavior and consciousness, while during sleep cortical outputs should be redirected to structures performing integration of the visceral information. Thus, results of sleep studies indicate that current brain paradigm should be changed.

supporting

confidence: 52%

The state of sleep and the current brain paradigm

Pigareva

2015

Front. Syst. Neurosci.

“…It is also well known since early anatomical studies of 19th century 44 that visceral and somatosensory afferents terminate at the same neurons in spinal cord, and thus visceral information may travel to the cerebral cortex using the fibers of somatosensory columns. The fact of such combined projections was confirmed also in many recent studies 45–49 and this overlap was regarded as the most probable mechanism of the referred pain 44,50–52 . However, this overlap creates an unresolved problem – how the central nervous system manages to distinguish information coming by the same fibers from these rather different sources.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 68%

“…The fact of such combined projections was confirmed also in many recent studies [45][46][47][48][49] and this overlap was regarded as the most probable mechanism of the referred pain. 44,[50][51][52] However, this overlap creates an unresolved problem -how the central nervous system manages to distinguish information coming by the same fibers from these rather different sources. Our hypothesis concerning sleep function offers the very likely solution of this problemtransmission of the somatosensory information happens during period of wakefulness, whereas visceral information travel to the central nervous system during sleep when muscles are relaxed, and movements are excluded.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cortical visual areas process intestinal information during slow‐wave sleep

Neurogastroenterology Motil

Bagaev

Levichkina

et al. 2012

“…It is known since early anatomical studies in the 19th century (Head, 1896), that visceral and somatosensory afferents terminate at the same neurons in the spinal cord, and thus visceral information may travel to the cerebral cortex through the fibers of the somatosensory columns. The fact of such combined projections was confirmed in many studies (e.g., Kuo et al, 1981; Cervero, 1983; Cervero et al, 1984; Akeyson and Schramm, 1994; Perry and Lawson, 1998) and this overlap is regarded as the most probable mechanism of the referred pains (Head, 1896; Arendt-Nielsen and Svensson, 2001; Peles et al, 2004; Hobson et al, 2010). …”

Section: The Pathways For the Visceral Afferentation To The Cerebral mentioning

confidence: 78%

Partial sleep in the context of augmentation of brain function

Pigareva

2014

Front. Syst. Neurosci.

Inability to solve complex problems or errors in decision making is often attributed to poor brain processing, and raises the issue of brain augmentation. Investigation of neuronal activity in the cerebral cortex in the sleep-wake cycle offers insights into the mechanisms underlying the reduction in mental abilities for complex problem solving. Some cortical areas may transit into a sleep state while an organism is still awake. Such local sleep would reduce behavioral ability in the tasks for which the sleeping areas are crucial. The studies of this phenomenon have indicated that local sleep develops in high order cortical areas. This is why complex problem solving is mostly affected by local sleep, and prevention of local sleep might be a potential way of augmentation of brain function. For this approach to brain augmentation not to entail negative consequences for the organism, it is necessary to understand the functional role of sleep. Our studies have given an unexpected answer to this question. It was shown that cortical areas that process signals from extero- and proprioreceptors during wakefulness, switch to the processing of interoceptive information during sleep. It became clear that during sleep all “computational power” of the brain is directed to the restoration of the vital functions of internal organs. These results explain the logic behind the initiation of total and local sleep. Indeed, a mismatch between the current parameters of any visceral system and the genetically determined normal range would provide the feeling of tiredness, or sleep pressure. If an environmental situation allows falling asleep, the organism would transit to a normal total sleep in all cortical areas. However, if it is impossible to go to sleep immediately, partial sleep may develop in some cortical areas in the still behaviorally awake organism. This local sleep may reduce both the “intellectual power” and the restorative function of sleep for visceral organs.