Similarities in consciousness occurring during sleep and sedation.
Andrew J F Turner, Jordan J Wehrman, Robert D. Sanders
British Journal of Anaesthesia October 1, 2023 DOI: 10.1016/j.bja.2023.07.019 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Commentary Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Humans Anesthesia Consciousness Sleep Anesthesiology Procedural sedation Propofol Anaesthesia Dexmedetomidine Unresponsiveness |
| Key points | The commentary reports that Valli and colleagues found similar frequency and content of recalled experiences after non-rapid eye movement sleep and after propofol or dexmedetomidine sedation titrated to verbal unresponsiveness. The authors argue these phenomenological similarities mirror physiological ones, and note that conscious experience showed no dose-dependent response in the small sample, suggesting other factors determine the propensity for consciousness under sedation. |
Abstract
The subjective experiences of sedation or anaesthesia are underexplored. A recent study by Valli and colleagues (Br J Anaesth 2023; 131: 348-59) found similar frequency and content of recalled experiences after both non-rapid eye movement sleep and target-controlled infusions of propofol or dexmedetomidine titrated to verbal unresponsiveness. The authors find that the phenomenological similarities between consciousness during sleep and sedation mirror their physiological similarities. Intriguingly, in this small sample, conscious experience did not show a dose-dependent response suggesting other factors are important in determining the propensity for consciousness under sedation.
Citations in the library
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