The Neural Mechanisms of Anesthesia and Human Consciousness (Part 6)

Summary

Positron Emission Tomography (PET), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and electroencephalography (EEG) studies will be carried out to reveal the neural correlates of consciousness. Consciousness of the subjects will be manipulated with anesthetic agents dexmedetomidine, propofol, S-ketamine and sevoflurane. One-hundred-and-sixty (160) healthy male subjects will be recruited to receive EC50 concentration of the anesthetic (40 dexmedetomidine, 40 propofol, 20 S-ketamine, 40 sevoflurane) or placebo (20) while being imaged for cerebral metabolic rate of glucose (CMRglu). Also genetic, immunological and metabolomics samples will be taken and analysed to find possible genetic factors explaining the variability in drug response and to find chemical fingerprints of acute drug effect.

Timeline

Start

2016-01

Primary completion

2017-03-13

Completion

2017-03-13

Publications

• Background Langsjo JW, Alkire MT, Kaskinoro K, Hayama H, Maksimow A, Kaisti KK, Aalto S, Aantaa R, Jaaskelainen SK, Revonsuo A, Scheinin H. Returning from oblivion: imaging the neural core of consciousness. J Neurosci. 2012 Apr 4;32(14):4935-43. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4962-11.2012.
• Background Langsjo JW, Revonsuo A, Scheinin H. Harnessing anesthesia and brain imaging for the study of human consciousness. Curr Pharm Des. 2014;20(26):4211-24.
• Nummela A, Laaksonen L, Scheinin A, Kaisti K, Vahlberg T, Neuvonen M, Valli K, Revonsuo A, Perola M, Niemi M, Scheinin H, Laitio T. Circulating oxylipin and bile acid profiles of dexmedetomidine, propofol, sevoflurane, and S-ketamine: a randomised controlled trial using tandem mass spectrometry. BJA Open. 2022 Dec 12;4:100114. doi: 10.1016/j.bjao.2022.100114. eCollection 2022 Dec.
• Nummela AJ, Laaksonen LT, Laitio TT, Kallionpaa RE, Langsjo JW, Scheinin JM, Vahlberg TJ, Koskela HT, Aittomaki V, Valli KJ, Revonsuo A, Niemi M, Perola M, Scheinin H. Effects of dexmedetomidine, propofol, sevoflurane and S-ketamine on the human metabolome: A randomised trial using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Eur J Anaesthesiol. 2022 Jun 1;39(6):521-532. doi: 10.1097/EJA.0000000000001591. Epub 2021 Sep 22.
• Laaksonen L, Kallioinen M, Langsjo J, Laitio T, Scheinin A, Scheinin J, Kaisti K, Maksimow A, Kallionpaa RE, Rajala V, Johansson J, Kantonen O, Nyman M, Siren S, Valli K, Revonsuo A, Solin O, Vahlberg T, Alkire M, Scheinin H. Comparative effects of dexmedetomidine, propofol, sevoflurane, and S-ketamine on regional cerebral glucose metabolism in humans: a positron emission tomography study. Br J Anaesth. 2018 Jul;121(1):281-290. doi: 10.1016/j.bja.2018.04.008. Epub 2018 May 8.

Drugs

Indications

No indication recorded.