Constrained Functional Connectivity Dynamics in Pediatric Surgical Patients Undergoing General Anesthesia.

Background: Functional connectivity in cortical networks is thought to be important for consciousness and can be disrupted during the anesthetized state. Recent work in adults has revealed dynamic connectivity patterns during stable general anesthesia, but whether similar connectivity state transitions occur in the developing brain remains undetermined. The hypothesis was that anesthetic-induced unconsciousness is associated with disruption of functional connectivity in the developing brain and that, as in adults, there are dynamic shifts in connectivity patterns during the stable maintenance phase of general anesthesia.

Neurophysiologic Complexity in Children Increases with Developmental Age and Is Reduced by General Anesthesia.

Background: Neurophysiologic complexity in the cortex has been shown to reflect changes in the level of consciousness in adults but remains incompletely understood in the developing brain. This study aimed to address changes in cortical complexity related to age and anesthetic state transitions. This study tested the hypotheses that cortical complexity would (1) increase with developmental age and (2) decrease during general anesthesia.