3-D movie shows, for the first time, what happens in the brain as it loses consciousness

3-D movie shows, for the first time, what happens in the brain as it loses consciousness  Neuroscience  For the first time researchers have been able to watch what happens to the brain as it loses consciousness. Using sophisticated imaging equipment they have constructed a 3-D movie of the brain as it changes while an anaesthetic drug takes effect. Brian Pollard, Professor of Anaesthesia at The University of Manchester (UK), will tell the European Anaesthesiology Congress in Amsterdam that the real-time 3-D images seemed to show that losing consciousness involves a change in electrical activity deep within the brain, changing the activity of certain groups of nerve cells (neurons) and hindering communication between different parts of the brain. He said the findings appear to support a hypothesis put forward by Professor Susan Greenfield, of the University of Oxford, about the nature of consciousness itself. Prof Greenfield suggests consciousness is formed by different groups of brain cells (neural assemblies), which work efficiently together, or not, depending on the available sensory stimulations, and that consciousness is not an all-or-none state but more like a dimmer switch, changing according to growth, mood or drugs. When someone is anaesthetised it appears that small neural assemblies either work less well together or inhibit communication with other neural assemblies. "Our findings suggest that unconsciousness may be the increase of inhibitory assemblies across the brain's cortex. These findings lend support to Greenfield's hypothesis of neural assemblies forming consciousness," said Prof Pollard. The team use an entirely new imaging method called "functional electrical impedance tomography by evoked response" (fEITER *), which enables high speed imaging and monitoring of electrical activity deep within the brain and is designed to enable researchers to measure brain function. The new device was developed by a multidisciplinary team drawn from the Schools of Medicine and Electrical and Electronic Engineering at The University of Manchester (UK) led by Professor Hugh McCann and with support from a Wellcome Trust Translation Award. The machine itself is a portable, light-weight monitor, which can fit on a small trolley. It has 32 electrodes that are fitted around the patient's head. A small, high-frequency electric current (too small to be felt or have any effect) is passed between two of the electrodes, and the voltages between other pairs of electrodes are measured in a process that takes less than one thousandth of a second. An "electronic scan" is thus carried out and the machine does this whole procedure 100 times a second. By measuring the resistance to current flow (electrical impedance), a cross sectional image of the changing electrical conductivity within the brain is constructed. This is thought to reflect the amount of electrical activity in different parts of the brain. The speed of the response of fEITER is such that the evoked response of the brain to external stimuli, such as an anaesthetic drug, can be captured in rapid succession as different parts of the brain respond, thus tracking the brain's processing activity. "We have looked at 20 healthy volunteers and are now looking at 20 anaesthetised patients scheduled for surgery," said Prof Pollard. "We are able to see 3-D images of the brain's conductivity change, and those where the patient is becoming anaesthetised are most interesting." "We have been able to see a real time loss of consciousness in anatomically distinct regions of the brain for the first time. We are currently working on trying to interpret the changes that we have observed. We still do not know exactly what happens within the brain as unconsciousness occurs, but this is another step in the direction of understanding the brain and its functions." The team at Manchester is one of many worldwide teams investigating electrical impedance tomography (EIT), but this is its first application to anaesthesia. Prof Pollard said that a huge amount of research still needed to be done to fully understand the role EIT could play in medicine. "If its power can be harnessed, then it has the potential to make a huge impact on many areas of imaging in medicine. It should help us to better understand anaesthesia, sedation and unconsciousness, although its place in medicine is more likely to be in diagnosing changes to the brain that occur as a result of, for example, head injury, stroke and dementia. "The biggest hurdle is working out what we are seeing and exactly what it means, and this will be an ongoing challenge," he concluded. Provided by European Society of Anaesthesiology "3-D movie shows, for the first time, what happens in the brain as it loses consciousness." June 11th, 2011. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-d-movie-brain-consciousness.html

 BONDI’ MASSIMO

                                  Libero docente  in Surgical   Pathology  and Clinical. University La Sapienza –Roma  già Primario.  General Surgeon. Pathologist.. MD.General Surgeon SYDNEY.Australia

BONDI’ MANUELE.

                                    Natural Science Degree-Parma University (Italy)

TITLE Appeared on the Gazz.Sanit.,Minerva medica,166,3,june,2007

             And 12,2008.

“Experimental   demonstration of the Pathogenesis of the Coma, through the Unified Synaptic channel collapse. Physiological  - Clinical and Quantum-electrodynamics considerations.”

 SUMMARY

  It is possible to obtain  the Coma through the total aspiration of the cerebrospinal fluid.                   

Physiological , Clinical and Quantum-electrodynamics considerations about the traumatic Coma.

Ninty minutes for saving the Brain.

KEY WORDS

                          CONSCIOUSNESS,  CEREBRAL CORTEX, VENTRICLES, CEREBRO-SPINAL FLUID, UNIFIED SYNAPTIC CHANNEL( USC),

QUANTUM-ELECTRO-DYNAMICS (QED), PHOTONS.

                                        --------------------------------------------

INTRODUCTION

                               In  1998 Bondì-Bondì (1)  describe for the first time an histological structure present in the cerebral cortex, named Unified Synaptic channel (USC).

This histological structure (about 200 A* width) was identified as “Synaptic fissure” by Sherrington (2) Nobel 1952.  This “fissure” however, according to Bondì,  spreads  among the miliards (150-200)  of cortical-cerebral neurons, assuming  the histomorphological particular features of a Channel.

J.C.Eccles (3) Nobel 1963, gave the experimental  demonstration of the intracellular electric registration of a stimulus-information of excitement-inhibition. Such a stimulus determines one exocytosis-emission, which   has come to be considered as the basic neuron unitary activity of the cerebral cortex.  Every emission of 30-50 microvescicula releases  several different neuro-transmitters, which from the pre-synapse arrives  to the  post-synapse, there causing, via the mechanism-all or nothing- a new electric state called “Depolarisation”corresponding to  an excitatory condition defined   “Excitatory post-synaptic potential”(EPSP).  Eccles  later hypothesis  defined the EPSP as the Intelligence Quantic Theory and could confirm the dualistic model of mixed transmission of the nervous impuls. QED in the central inter-neuronic synaptic level of the USC and classical physics at the level of nervous peripheric system.  

.

                            

Bondì   proposed  a model for the identification of consciousness based on QED activity and its application   to the biochemical structure  of the USC. Bondì perceives the latter as  a channel running  in loops all along the labyrinthic  structure of the bi-emispheric cerebral cortex and constituting a “new” anatomical and histological structure on its own, along which  the flow of molecular (and ionic)        particles (such as neuro-transmitters)  determines a sort of constant low-noise effect.

                   The model also tries  to combine classical physics  with  quantic physics in studying the emersion and identification of consciousness represented as a “whole”. Quantum- electro-dynamics (QED) applied to   the Synaptic space (USC) may constitue the transmission vehicle of the global brain cortex (about  160.000Km.long). The extension of the USC is likely to produce  the synchronic and synergic emergence of  consciousness in a quantic model based  on a finely regulated mechanism of projection of sensorial inputs (comprehending the stages of exocitosis and active transport), which can   be assembled in  quantic sources and then processed along  the USC . We propose a model for the identification of consciousness based on QED activity and its application   to the biochemical structure  of the USC.    In this context the emergence  of  the awareness of the ”SELF” would thus appear to be based  upon a mechanism of an extremely small    and shortly lived exchange of neuro-transmitters and other molecules , which according to their diffusion rate seem to sum up their effects to produce a “constant” flow of material.(fig. 1-2-3)(already published)                          

          In  the 1997  this model was presented to the International Symposium on the “Consciousness” – Belgrado- (4) (5).

The pathogenesis  of the Coma that is a symptom and not a diagnosis, becomes definitily comprehensible. In fact every time a collection  or lump(hematoma,,abcess, tumor  ) compresses the cerebral parenchyma, there is a compression of the cortex (about one cm.in thickness) against the cranial non-stretch bone. In this way all the extension-width of USC is reduced or completely disappeared,  determining  the consciousness loss, that is the Coma, that begins in the precise moment in which the collection reaches the critical limit of the closure (collapse) of the USC.

OBJECT OF THE RESEARCH

                                                The described model must  and can be experimentally proved.

 The research object is precisely the experimental demonstration of the Coma pathogenesis, never before described. The experimental constitution of a liquid collection ,compressing the cortex, is very difficult; therefore we decided to act contrary, foreseeing to obtain the same result, that is the Coma.

It is well known that the cerebral parenchyma is maintained by a cellular-fibrous network (astroglia,macroglia,mesoglia), that gives itself  a soft-firm consistency. This consistency  becomes however hard-elastic, for the presence of the ventricles, that plenty of liquor (cerebrospinal fluid), incompressible as all the liquids, contributes to gives the described hard-elastic consistency, necessary for the good functioning of the interneuronic network (USC) and capillary circulation.

With the complete  emptying of the cerebrospinal fluid contents, it  is possible to obtain the sudden and simultaneous collapse of  the USC. That means the consciousness loss, i.e. the “Coma” outbreak.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

                                            The   animal sacrifice is not necessary.

1)Animal : big,medium size

                 After a carefull  trichotomy of the dorsal-lumbar-sacral region the animal is immobilized. The trichotomy is essential for locating  the intervertebral space.

2)Disinfection of the skin.

3)Superficial anesthesia of the animal with etherization

   causing relaxation for introducing the needle.

4)Introduction of an aspirating needle, like for epidural anesthesia, in the 2nd-3rd intervertebral  subaracnoidal space and  interposition of a  tubule between the needle and a syringe (50 cc.).

4)The animal will be waked up with generous doses of Oxigen

5)As soon as the animal will be awake (presence of the conjunctival-corneal  reflex ) and conscious, all the cerebrospinal liquid will be aspirated  until the negative pressure of the syringe. The fluid will stay in the syringe.

6)Aspiration  times: rapid= 3 minutes

                                    Slow= 5 minutes

7) Disappearance of the reflexes and measuring of the outbreak of  consciousness  loss corresponding to the total aspiration of the cerebrospinal fluid. The animal even if stimulated is acinetic and unconscious.

8)The animal is left without consciousness (Coma) for

some minutes(3-4) .

9)Slow reintroduction of the fluid before aspirated and

measuring of the minutes for the reappearance of  consciousness and reflexes.

10)Extraction of the needle 

RESULT

           The experiment ( total aspiration of the c.s. fluid from the intervertebral lumbar subaracnoidal  space) determines the outbreak of the Coma, caused by the collapse of the USC.  This “collapse” is comprehensible, considering the total, sudden and simultaneous  emptying of c.s. fluid  up to obtain the negative pressure in the syringe.  The containers of the c.s. fluid that are the walls of the ventricles cavities  falling in,  and the cerebral Cortex, site of the  course of the USC, loses its hard-elastic consistency because it is no more supported by the pressure that the c.s.fluid acts on the ventricles  walls and therefore all the Cortex collapses itself.

The USC loses its vacuousness (200 A° ) and its  QED  ionic included  is reabsorbed through the neuronal membranes.

The totality of the cortical neurons suddenly and simultaneously is blocked (exocitosys and active transport are interrupted ),  the Consciousness disappeares  and so the “Coma” appears .

The reintroduction of the previously aspirated  c.s,fluid determines  the reappeared vacuousness (200 A*) of the USC, due to new extension of the cortex (about 1 cm.),   and so   the “Coma” disappeared.  

DISCUSSION

                       Having described the formation and identification of

 the consciousness  appearing like the stream of a river, already understood by William James (6) ,that runs  as an  ionic-corpuscle-molecolar flow through the enormous extension of the USC (160.000 kms.), due  to the gyruses  of the cerebral cortex(about 1 cm.of  thickness), we must  affirm that the consciousness is mainly optical, and therefore photonical (about 70-80%) .

The remaining 20-25%  is represented by the auditory consciousness  and for 3-5% by the  olfactory,gustatory , thermotactic-tactile and painfull consciousness.

It may be interesting to  point out synthetically  the transformation in image of the photonic component of  consciousness. The Creator or the Case, two faces of the same medal, identifiable with the unknown of the” Human Thought”, with the “FIAT LUX” has foreseen in the evolution course  an organ capable to observe the Universe Creation. In which way?

The Light  crosses  the pupil,  that is the opening in the center of the iris and hits  at the speed of 300.000 Km/s. the   “retina” membrane at the interior  of the ocular globule , that with its  nine strata  slows down , adsorbs and transforms such a speed-wave, in the dramatically smaller speed of 10 Km/s.

By  diminishing  the speed,  the mass increases and the photonic wave assumes the corpuscle form that can  move in this way along  the fibres of the optical nerve (about 1.250.000), which originates from the 8^th stratus of the Retina

The nervous fibers have not the histological structure capable to receive the transmission of a wave, that in fact  does not need any conductor for its transmission, but needs only the space. The same happens in  the transmission of the electrical energy  that arrives in our houses with a  wire conductor and  radio and Tv  waves  that do not need any  conductor wire.  

The atomic corpuscles put,  differently of the waves, one to the other

along the nervous fibers, capable to receive this movement due to the neuro-cellular electric potential membrane’s difference.  Terminal station of the cosmic travel of the initial photonic wave is the cortico-cerebral occipital centre.  The optical nerve(about 10 cm. of length in the human brain) after the chiasm decussation , gives off the photonic message transformed in image and colour  (after have been registered  in the neuronal cells) in the USC, acquiring the QED form. This cosmic-cerebral travel is obviously valid also for the sound  waves(auditory organ,temporal lobe, about 15-20 %) and for about 3-4% for the gustatory,olfactory,   thermotactile and painfull pertaining to the sensorium

In this way the system, wave-corpuscle-wave,  becomes  a restricted necessity. The nervous optical fibers are only the axons of the retinal gangliar cells. Before  arriving at the gangliar cells the messages coming

from the photo-sensible elements, cones stratus, receive a great quantity of  sophisticated analysis  of  information. Briefly the proteic molecule that linking to the phosphodiesterasis enzyme makes active the Rhodopsine, equivalent to “retinal porpora”, is the “trasducine”  which realizes the trasduction between the impact of the photon and the electrical answer of the photoreceptor.

Retinal also combines with opsins in the retinal cones to form the three pigments responsible for colour vision. The difference of electric potential that can  be measured between  outside and inside of the cellular membrane increases during  the lighting, so   an enormous number of simultaneous photoluminescences is obtained.

All the animal visual systems  are based on the photoluminescence of the”retinal” hit from the Light.  Every “Quantum” of the Light decreasing the speed  and adsorbed by a molecule of “Rhodopsine”becomes isomeric for the retinal chromophories.

(R.Hubbard, A.Kropf) (7). In such case it is evident that the evolution

produced  a highly efficient  system for carrying out  the adsorbed and decreased light  in the  biochemical  language. This language has been  developed in  three phases: Quantistic(with wave function), electric-ionic-corpuscle (Optical nerve),QED in the USC.  It is so comprehensible as, pervaded by the wave-corpuscle photonic-, coming from the sun radiation, all the biological subjects having a visual field, together with the other  sense-organs, have been  able  to identify themselves , everyone in the peculiar environment,  that for the human subjects signified in the evolution  course,( millions years ),  the formation and the identification of the Consciousness of the “SELF ”                                                                                                   

   

  CONCLUSIONS

                           The histological  existence of an interneuronic synaptic structure in the cerebral-cortex tissue(USC)  where a ionic-corpuscle-molecolar flow represented by the reactive activity of the sensorial and motors centers ( and of the human language, with the 3 centers: Broca,Werniche,Kussmaul) , can be identified  with  the consciousness formation that can be interpreted as  a sort of constant,continous and simultaneous low-noise effect.

When the cortex  receives sufficient afferent impulses,  it is said to be aroused or activated. That is,  a critical number of cortical neurons is brought into the proper patterns of activity to produce a state of consciousness and alertness.  Thus, the great afferent systems are important for promoting cortical activity and, hence,wakefulness. However, at relatively low levels of stimulation this is not enough, and the ascending Reticular activating system of the brain stem, which has its upper end in the posterior hypothalamus, and lower thalamus, becomes important.   The RETICULAR system has a generalized influence upon the cortex. The pathways from its upper extremity of the cortex are not well understood, but  impulses are presumably related through the thalamic nuclei and through the internal capsule.    

The Reticular system is thus to maintain wakfulness at levels of visceral and somatic  stimulation which would not ordinarily activate the cortex.

The sleep produced by lesions of the reticular system is  not usually completely irreversible. It may be that cortical sleep,  which seems most important in man, is supplemented  by subcortical  sleep and the same

form of consciousness, if not awareness, is possible in the absence of

the cortex. From the practical point of view, it is important  that extensive hypothalamic and thalamic lesions may produce somnolence or pathologic sleep in patients. The same is true with large lesions extending through the central reticular formation of the midbrain and pons. All in all, the clinical

support the premise that subcortical, as well as cortical mechanisms,  are important for changes in the states of consciousness. (F.H. Netter) (9)

 The total empting of the c. s. fluid  can experimentally prove the outbreak of the “coma” that contrary disappears with the reactivation of the consciousness, as soon as the c.s. fluid  is reinjected, so reestablished

the physiological conditions of substain of the cerebral-cortex stratus,

essential for the ionic movement  present in the USC.

The pathogenesis of the symptom “coma” has so a precise point of reference in the “USC Collapse, ”  that must be clinically taken into consideration. Except for the “Pharmacological Coma” that  has a pathogenesis hydrophobic-hydrochemical (Hameroff) (8), every

Traumatic hemorrhagic compressing Coma, must be taken care of a precox surgical decompression(extradural  and subaracnoidal space drenage.ventriculostomy,and if  necessary evacuative craniotomy).

This decompression must be  very early (to save the brain in the first 90 minutes)   without loss of precious time in the casualty ward of the peripheral Hospital, from which in a second time the patient is transferred to  central Hospital in absence of the neuro-surgeon.

In this way the patient receives the hematic leakage  that determines infiltration of cortico-cerebral  tissue.  Thus the degenerative process starts, that after 3 hours  determines  a  deeper and deeper  “coma”

up to become irreversible (so said  brain death). It is a brain death that

is caused for  lack of organisation.

It should be hoped  that as  for the Angioplasty and for the cerebral apoplectic stroke  there could be the continuous presence in  Hospitals of Teams ready to operate suitably (Door-to-balloon of Americans  ) so opening a temporal reduced window also for the many numerous cranial traumatisms , that contrary are often abandoned to the sad destiny of a brain death frequently avoidable.

The patients in “vegetative coma” should be about 1500 according to a recent statistic in Italy. An  urgent operation performed in useful time is only  a question of organisation.

It is absurd to perform only a cardio-respiratory reanimation,without a valid cerebral reanimation.

It should be like to perform a blood transfusion in a haemorrhagic patient without operating on the  haemorrhagic cause.

The huge increase of the comatose patients  is a very important problem

to be solved.

                                              REFERENCES

\)  Bondì M.-Bondì M..: Riv.Biol.-Biology Forum. “The role of synaptic junctions in the identification of human consciousness”(1998),91,329-33

2) Sherrington C.S.:” Man on his nature” Cambridge University ,press.

   London,(1952)

3)Beck F.-Eccles J.C.;”Quantum aspects of brain activity and the role of consciousness”,Proc.Nat.Acad.Sci.,11357-11361,(1989)

4)Bondì M-Bondì M. : “………interpretation of the pathogenesis of the human coma”,ECPD brain consciousness international symposium,22-23 September 1997,pag.201-204,Belgrade,Jugoslave

5)Bondì M-.Bondì’ M.: “Quantum electrodynamics(QED) and unified synaptic channel (USC) in the identification of consciousness” Neuroquantology,riv. on line ,June( 2005),www. Neuroquantology.com

6)James W. : “The principle of Psycology”, Harvard Univ., press.reprint.,USA ,(1981)

7) Hubbard R.-Kropf A.: Isomeri molecolari nella Visione”,Le Scienze,Quaderni,29,4,3-12.(1986)

8)Hameroff S.R.-Watt R.C.:”Information in processing microtubules”

  J.Theor.Biol. 98, 549-561,(1982)

9)Netter F.H.:” Nervous system”, (1968) Edit. CIBA