Frontiers | Enhanced Interplay of Neuronal Coherence and Cou

Frontiers | Enhanced Interplay of Neuronal Coherence and Coupling in the Dying Human Brain

The neurophysiological footprint of brain activity after cardiac arrest and during near-death experience (NDE) is not well understood. Although a hypoactive state of brain activity has been assumed, experimental animal studies have shown increased activity after cardiac arrest, particularly in the gamma-band. No study has yet investigated this matter in humans. Here, we present continuous electroencephalography (EEG) recording from a dying human brain, obtained from an 87-year-old patient undergoing cardiac arrest after traumatic subdural hematoma. An increase of absolute power in gamma activity in the narrow and broad bands and a decrease in theta power is seen after suppression of bilateral hemispheric responses. After cardiac arrest, delta, beta, alpha and gamma power were decreased but a higher percentage of relative gamma power was observed when compared to the interictal interval. Cross-frequency coupling revealed modulation of left-hemispheric gamma activity by alpha and theta rhythms across all windows, even after cessation of cerebral blood flow. The strongest coupling is observed for narrow- and broad-band gamma activity by the alpha waves during left-sided suppression and after cardiac arrest. Albeit the influence of neuronal injury and swelling, our data provide the first evidence from the dying human brain in a non-experimental, real-life acute care clinical setting and advocate that the human brain may possess the capability to generate coordinated activity during the near-death period.

Related Keywords

United States , American , Jessica Mcdonnell , Le Van Quyen , Renault , American Clinical Neurophysiology Society Standardized Critical Care , Heidi Demetriades Foundation , Mathworks Inc , Glasgow Coma Scale , Matlab Signal Processing Toolbox , Frequency Coupling , Power Spectrum , High Frequency Gamma , Supplementary Material , Henan Provincial People , Wolf Singer , Med Abstract , Crossref Full Text , Van Quyen , Near Death , Intensive Care , Emergency Medicine , Coherence , Coupling , Fear Death , End Of Life , Ife Recall ,

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