Modular dynamics of conscious and unconscious states in marmoset cortex
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) July 15, 2025 Dominic Standage, Yuki Hori, Joseph Y. Nashed et al. preprint
Using fMRI in awake and anesthetized marmosets, the study shows that the anesthetic isoflurane weakens functional brain networks, making them more fragmented and more closely resembling anatomical structure. In contrast, wakefulness is characterized by coordinated network reconfiguration and distinct subnetworks. The authors argue that consciousness emerges from the dynamics of functional brain networks and that anesthetics reduce these dynamics by impairing synaptic transmission.