The "Hard problem" of consciousness relates to the perplexing emergence of consciousness as a result of the brain activity. The binding problem concerns separate processing of perceived data in functionally and topographically segregated cortical areas and functional integration of such locally disjoined operations into coherently perceived images and events. The existing field-grounded theories of consciousness fall into two groups: (i) those based on the physical (electromagnetic) field, and (ii) those grounded on autonomous fields irreducible to the established physical fundamentals. The critical analysis of the existing theories results in formulation of the extra ingredient and a novel irreducible field-based theory of consciousness.
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J Law Med
November 2024
Consultant Respiratory Physician, East Melbourne.
Cough syncope is an uncommon but well-recognised medical condition diagnosed primarily on the history provided by the sufferer. In situations where the sufferer is in control of a motor vehicle, syncope can lead to accidents involving death and injury. In the medico-legal setting, cough syncope can be a contested cause of such accidents.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Emerg Med
January 2025
Department of Cardiology and Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Collegium Medicum, University of Warmia and Mazury, al. Warszawska 30, Olsztyn, 10-900, Poland.
Background: Chest pain is a common reason patients are admitted to the hospital. The most clinically significant cases are those in which the pain is due to an immediate life-threatening condition, such as acute aortic dissection (AAD). A prompt and correct diagnosis is crucial to patient survival.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
January 2025
Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, China.
As one of the most commonly used general anesthetics (GAs) in surgery, numerous studies have demonstrated the detrimental effects of sevoflurane exposure on myelination in the developing and elderly brain. However, the impact of sevoflurane exposure on intact myelin structure in the adult brain is barely discovered. Here, we show that repeated sevoflurane exposure, but not single exposure, causes hypomyelination and abnormal ultrastructure of myelin sheath in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of adult male mice, which is considered as a critical brain region for general anesthesia mediated consciousness change.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFActa Anaesthesiol Scand
February 2025
Department of Brain and Spinal Cord Injury, Neuroscience Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Background: The harm-benefit balance for early out-of-bed mobilisation of patients with severe acquired brain injury (ABI) in neurointensive care units (neuro-ICUs) is unclear, and there are no clinical guidelines. This study aimed to survey the current clinical practice and perceptions among clinicians involved in first out-of-bed mobilisation in Scandinavian neuro-ICUs.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional, anonymous, web-based survey; the reporting follows the recommended CROSS checklist.
Pharmacol Res
January 2025
Department of Anesthesiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Institute of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Resuscitation (Huazhong University of Science and Technology), Ministry of Education, Wuhan, China. Electronic address:
General anesthesia is administered to millions of individuals each year, however, the precise mechanism by which it induces unconsciousness remains unclear. While some theories suggest that anesthesia shares similarities with natural sleep, targeting sleep-promoting areas and inhibiting arousal nuclei, recent research indicates a more complex process. Emerging evidence highlights the critical role of corticothalamocortical circuits, which are involved in higher cognitive functions, in controlling arousal states and modulating transitions between different conscious states during anesthesia.
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