Research Commons
      • Browse 
        • Communities & Collections
        • Titles
        • Authors
        • By Issue Date
        • Subjects
        • Types
        • Series
      • Help 
        • About
        • Collection Policy
        • OA Mandate Guidelines
        • Guidelines FAQ
        • Contact Us
      • My Account 
        • Sign In
        • Register
      View Item 
      •   Research Commons
      • University of Waikato Research
      • Science and Engineering
      • Science and Engineering Papers
      • View Item
      •   Research Commons
      • University of Waikato Research
      • Science and Engineering
      • Science and Engineering Papers
      • View Item
      JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

      Modelling general anaesthesia as a first-order phase transition in the cortex

      Steyn-Ross, Moira L.; Steyn-Ross, D. Alistair; Sleigh, James W.
      Thumbnail
      Files
      PBMB_Anaesth_phase_xn_preprint.pdf
      1009.Kb
      DOI
       10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2004.02.001
      Link
       www.elsevier.com
      Find in your library  
      Citation
      Export citation
      Steyn-Ross, M.L., Steyn-Ross, D.A. & Sleigh, J.W. (2004). Modelling general anaesthesia as a first-order phase transition in the cortex. Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology 85(2-3), 369-385.
      Permanent Research Commons link: https://hdl.handle.net/10289/769
      Abstract
      Since 1997 we have been developing a theoretical foundation for general anaesthesia. We have been able to demonstrate that the abrupt change in brain state broughton by anaesthetic drugs can be characterized as a first-order phase transition in the population-average membrane voltage of the cortical neurons. The theory predicts that, as the critical point of phase-change into unconsciousness is approached, the electrical fluctuations in cortical activity will grow strongly in amplitude while slowing in frequency, becoming more correlated both in time and in space. Thus the bio-electrical change of brain-state has deep similarities with thermodynamic phase changes of classical physics. The theory further predicts the existence of a second critical point, hysteretically separated from the first, corresponding to the return path from comatose unconsciousness back to normal responsiveness. There is a steadily accumulating body of clinical evidence in support of all of the phasetransition predictions: low-frequency power surge in EEG activity; increased correlation time and correlation length in EEG fluctuations; hysteresis separation, with respect to drug concentration, between the point of induction and the point of emergence.
      Date
      2004-01
      Type
      Journal Article
      Publisher
      Elsevier
      Rights
      This is an author’s version preprint of an article published in the journal Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology.
      Collections
      • Science and Engineering Papers [3122]
      Show full item record  

      Usage

      Downloads, last 12 months
      98
       
       
       

      Usage Statistics

      For this itemFor all of Research Commons

      The University of Waikato - Te Whare Wānanga o WaikatoFeedback and RequestsCopyright and Legal Statement