Stijn Van Laer, PhD’s Post

As anesthesiologists, we think about these questions often. We make a promise to patients every day that they will be disconnected from the outside world and their inner thoughts during surgery, retain no memories of the experience and feel no pain. In this way, general anesthesia has enabled tremendous medical advances, from microscopic vascular repairs to solid organ transplants. In addition to their tremendous impact on clinical care, anesthetics have emerged as powerful scientific tools to probe questions about consciousness. They allow us to induce profound and reversible changes in conscious states—and study brain responses during these transitions. #medical #advances #brain #consciousness #anesthetics

I take the view that artificial intelligence is absolutely not conscious, will never be conscious, and should never be conscious. Here’s why. 1) there’s a huge difference between intelligence and consciousness. Intelligence in my view is more of a functional process; problem-solving ability, ability to respond to demands effectively. Large language models like chatGPT do this well. Consciousness is about phenomenology- ‘what it is like’ to be you, or me. The presence of an intelligent system is by no means indicative of conscious experience. It’s neither necessary nor sufficient. Besides, AI could probably imitate a conscious entity well (Turing test) but this doesn’t mean there is anything it is like to be that thing. 2) I believe that consciousness is inherently biological. I’ve long suspected that basic functional computation at the neuronal level (which is in itself unimaginably complex and AI systems do an appallingly inefficient job at attempting to replicate) is itself too simple. I don’t think it’s possible to account for why functional processes relying on binary neurones (firing or not firing) no matter how complex should be associated with any experience at all. I think we need to go deeper, and the complexities of orchestrated quantum processes at a sub neuronal level as evidenced by anaesthetic action account for this well. While quantum mechanics is by no means an area I am extensively clued up on, (and whilst I want to learn more and hope some physicist friends can help with that) the literature I’ve read on this theory linked below seems very plausible, more so than most leading theories of consciousness to date. 3) why are people in the AI world wanting to make it conscious in the first place? Surely intelligence is sufficient to solve real world problems? Why would you want to enter new sentient beings into our world, and bring with it a whole host of ethical cans of worms? It makes no sense what this would achieve. It seems we are obsessed as a species with progress for progress sake, and sometimes things are better just left alone. A long ramble, which I largely think most people will skip over, but I hope anyone interested in AI, neuroscience and consciousness might take some interest and I am keen to discuss further.

The delayed anesthetic effect of Epothilone B highlights an intriguing link between microtubules and consciousness, which might lead to advancements in anesthesiology. But here’s the skeptical take: could this simply be a physiological delay in drug absorption or metabolic differences in rats? Until we have more human-centric data, conclusions about MTs as key players in consciousness remain speculative. However, the quantum brain hypothesis certainly gains some traction here. If true, could this unlock new ways to manipulate consciousness, treating disorders or creating more precise anesthetics? Yet, how far are we from proving the quantum role of microtubules in humans? The real challenge is translating this into clinical relevance. #QuantumBrainDebate #NextGenAnesthetics #ConsciousnessResearch

“The research challenges classical models of brain activity, suggesting that consciousness could be a collective quantum vibration within neurons. These findings could reshape our understanding of consciousness, with implications for anesthesia, brain disorders, and consciousness in non-human animals.” “It’s hard to overstate the significance of the classical/quantum debate about consciousness, says Wiest, an associate professor of neuroscience at Wellesley. “When it becomes accepted that the mind is a quantum phenomenon, we will have entered a new era in our understanding of what we are,” he says.” #QuantumPhysics #Consciousness #QuantumConsciousness #Science #Research #Brain #Mind #Neuroscience

New research on anesthesia unlocks important clues about the nature of consciousness https://lnkd.in/dkc7bQVN New research on anesthesia has yielded important results about the physical basis of consciousness in the brain.

This is a joint webinar of the Assembly on Sleep and Respiratory Neurobiology (SRN) of the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and Assembly 4 (Sleep Disordered Breathing) of the European Respiratory Society. In this webinar, an expert panel will discuss one of the most important publications of 2023 in the field of respiratory sleep medicine. The individual patient-data meta-analysis discussed in the journal club demonstrates new results on the positive effect of CPAP treatment in OSA – in case of good adherence – on secondary prevention of major adverse cardiovascular events in obstructive sleep aponoea based on RCT data. These findings are essential for the field of OSA and have major clinical implications. Article: Adherence to CPAP Treatment and the Risk of Recurrent Cardiovascular Events: A Meta-Analysis. JAMA. 2023;330(13):1255–1265. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.17465 https://lnkd.in/e7a_WBEE

Study Upends Popular Belief: Sleep May Not Be for Brain Detox After All Student health Care ## Surprising Study: Sleep and Anesthesia Hinder Brain Detox *Previous thinking:* Sleep was believed to clear toxins from the brain. *New study:* Brain clearance of toxins is actually reduced during sleep and anesthesia in mice. *How they did it:* Measured movement of fluorescent dye in mouse brains. *Findings:* * Brain clearance significantly lower during anesthesia (pentobarbital, dexmedetomidine, ketamine-xylazine). * Brain clearance also reduced during sleep compared to wakefulness. * Diffusion coefficient (measure of movement) not significantly different between sleep/anesthesia and wakefulness. *What it means:* * Challenges the idea that sleep's main function is brain toxin clearance. * Findings may not apply to all molecules or explain how sleep/anesthesia affect clearance.  * More research needed to understand the full picture. #science #scientificdiscovery #research #neuroscience #brainfacts #sleepscience #sleepmyth #sleepdetox #brainhealth #sleepresearch #anesthesiaresearch #glymphatic

This is why 5 years ago we saw the Cognivue Thrive device as a logical addition to our wellness services. It’s for young and old, sick and well. In addition to being the window to the soul, the eye shares anatomy, function, and blood supply with the brain. The retina is actually brain tissue inside the eye. Baseline screening and early detection are the best way to maintain cognitive wellness, so it’s a no-brainer for optometrists that care about their patient’s brain health. We screen three cognitive domains and two speed parameters in about five minutes. Our patients love it. Optimizing our patient’s cognitive performance in their daily life, at any age, is what we need to do… Cognivue, Inc.

🧠✨ What Happens in Your Brain When You’re Under Anesthesia? The Mystery of How We "Turn Off" Consciousness. General anesthesia is one of the great achievements of modern medicine. But have you ever wondered how exactly it makes us lose consciousness? The answer lies in neuroscience. When an #anesthesiologist administers anesthesia, it's not just about putting the patient "to sleep." In reality, what happens is much more fascinating: the brain disconnects from itself. 🔍 Brain Disconnection: Anesthetics act on specific neural circuits, blocking communication between key regions of the brain. This doesn’t just shut down consciousness; it does so in a precise way, like flipping a switch in an electrical network, disconnecting the centers responsible for perception, thought, and memory. 🔗 Consciousness vs. Unconsciousness: This disconnection is so effective that during anesthesia, the signals that normally flow between different parts of the brain are interrupted. This is why we don’t remember anything or feel pain, even though the stimuli are still present. 🧬 What It Reveals About #Consciousness: Interestingly, this process gives us a window into understanding consciousness itself. If we can "turn off" the mind this way, we can also begin to decipher the specific circuits that allow us to be awake and aware. The next time you think about anesthesia, remember that you’re witnessing one of the most intricate and astonishing processes in neuroscience in action. 💬 Did you know about this process? What do you find most surprising about how anesthesia affects the brain? #anesthesia #brain #neuroscience #education

Music has been found to elicit neurochemical responses in the brain. Music releases of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin. Dopamine is associated with feelings of pleasure and reward, serotonin contributes to mood regulation, and oxytocin is linked to social bonding and relaxation. When we listen to music we enjoy, these neurotransmitters are released, leading to a positive shift in mood and a reduction in anxiety. Music has the capacity to engage multiple brain regions involved in emotion regulation and stress response, providing a therapeutic distraction from anxious thoughts and uncomfortable feelings. In the context of pre-surgical anxiety, music therapy has emerged as a potential adjunct or alternative to pharmacological interventions. Research indicates that listening to music before surgery can significantly mitigate anxiety levels, offering patients a non-invasive and cost-effective means of managing their emotional state prior to medical procedures. Music therapy stands as a promising avenue for enhancing patient well-being and satisfaction in healthcare settings, harnessing the neurobiological effects of music to promote relaxation and emotional comfort. #mentalhealth #neuroscience #music #mindmatters #resilience #personalresilienceindicator