Sleep and neurophysiological correlates of consciousness activation upon awakening

Cheremushkin E.A.; Petrenko N.E.; Dorokhov V.B.

doi:https://doi.org/10.17116/jnevro202112104214

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Abstract:

The authors discuss modern ideas about the neurophysiological mechanisms of awakening from sleep and the results of own EEG studies of the spatio-temporal dynamics of the activity of the cerebral hemispheres using the own experimental model for studying consciousness in the sleep-wake paradigm. This model is based on continuous execution of a monotonous psychomotor test performed lying down with eyes closed and allows observing several short-term sleep episodes during a 1-hour experiment, followed by spontaneous awakening and restoration of the psychomotor test. A necessary condition for the restoration of activity during spontaneous awakening is the emergence of the EEG alpha rhythm, the parameters of which determine the effectiveness of the restoration of the psychomotor test and, accordingly, the achievement of a certain level of consciousness, and therefore can be considered as a neurophysiological correlate of consciousness activation upon awakening. The considered experimental model of consciousness can be useful for analyzing the neurophysiological mechanisms of consciousness activation in patients with chronic impairments of consciousness and for searching for effective methods for the rehabilitation of such patients.

Keywords:

spontaneous awakening

continuous-discrete psychomotor test

neuronal correlates of consciousness

EEG

alpha rhythm

Authors:

Cheremushkin E.A.

Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology

Petrenko N.E.

Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology

Dorokhov V.B.

Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology

ORCID: 0000-0003-3533-9496

Received:

15.02.2021

Accepted:

18.02.2021

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References:

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