Consciousness-specific dynamic interactions of brain integration and functional diversity

• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12658-9
• Publication Date: 2019-10-10T10:32:32Z
• Authors: Andrea I. Luppi; Michael M. Craig; Ioannis Pappas; Paola Finoia; Guy B. Williams; Judith Allanson; John D. Pickard; Adrian M. Owen; Lorina Naci; David K. Menon; Emmanuel A. Stama...
• Keywords: Functional Diversity

Prominent theories of consciousness emphasise different aspects neurobiology, such as the integration and diversity information processing within brain. Here, we combine graph theory dynamic functional connectivity to compare resting-state MRI data from awake volunteers, propofol-anaesthetised patients with disorders consciousness, in order identify consciousness-specific patterns brain function. We demonstrate that cortical networks are especially affected by loss during temporal states high integration, exhibiting reduced compromised informational capacity, whereas thalamo-cortical disconnections emerge higher segregation. Spatially, posterior regions brain's default mode network exhibit reductions both rest unconsciousness. These results show human relies on spatio-temporal interactions between diversity, whose breakdown may represent a generalisable biomarker potential relevance for clinical practice.