Anesthesia and the electrophysiology of auditory consciousness

Conscious Cogn. 1999 Mar;8(1):45-61. doi: 10.1006/ccog.1998.0373.

Abstract

Empirical work is reviewed which correlates the presence or absence of various parts of the auditory evoked potential with the disappearance and reemergence of auditory sensation during induction of and recovery from anesthesia. As a result, the hypothesis is generated that the electrophysiological correlate of auditory sensation is whatever neural activity generates the middle latency waves of the auditory evoked potential. This activity occurs from 20 to 80 ms poststimulus in the primary and secondary areas of the auditory cortex. Evidence is presented suggesting that earlier or later waves in the auditory evoked potential do not covary with auditory sensation (as opposed to auditory perception) and it is therefore suggested that they are possibly not the electrophysiological correlates of sensation.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Anesthetics / pharmacology*
  • Auditory Cortex / drug effects*
  • Electrophysiology
  • Evoked Potentials, Auditory / drug effects*
  • Hearing / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Models, Neurological
  • Reaction Time

Substances

  • Anesthetics