Changes in brain, plasma and cerebrospinal fluid contents of beta-endorphin in dogs at the moment of death.
J Sotelo, R Perez, P Guevara, A Fernandez
Neurological research June 1995 DOI: 10.1080/01616412.1995.11740316 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational animal study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Dogs, either conscious or deeply anaesthetized at the moment of sudden death induced by cardiac arrest |
| Key findings | Dogs conscious at the moment of cardiac arrest showed a significant increase in beta-endorphin in brain tissue and body fluids compared with their own prior values and with anaesthetized dogs, while anaesthetized dogs showed no such change. The authors propose that brain opioids released at death could participate in the sensations reported in near-death experiences. |
Abstract
To investigate the possible participation of endogenous opioids in the cerebral events that take place at the moment of death we studied brain, cerebrospinal fluid and serum contents of beta-endorphin in dogs that were either conscious or unconscious at the moment of sudden death induced by cardiac arrest. Although with great interindividual variations, the animals that were conscious at the moment of cardiac arrest, presented a significant increase in beta-endorphin when compared with their own previous values (p < 0.05) or with the values found in animals that were deeply anaesthetized at the time of cardiac arrest. There seems to be a sudden increment of beta-endorphin in brain tissue and body fluids of dogs who are conscious at the moment of sudden death, this change was not observed in dogs that were anaesthetized prior to death. Brain opioids could participate in the sensations narrated by subjects in the so called near-death experience.
Citations in the library
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- Near-Death Experience as a Probe to Explore (Disconnected) Consciousness Trends in Cognitive Sciences January 22, 2020
- “Reality†of near-death-experience memories: evidence from a psychodynamic and electrophysiological integrated study Frontiers in Human Neuroscience June 19, 2014
- A neuroscientific model of near-death experiences. Nature Reviews Neurology June 1, 2025
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