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A new look to coma from the viewpoint of nonlinear dynamics

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Abstract

In this work, we propose a simple nonlinear network of consciousness that demonstrates how the trauma to the ascending reticular formation could lead to coma. Studies show that the healthy brain works at the edge of chaos. Coma, as a disorder, is a stable state that the inherently chaotic brain could trap in. There are several brain areas playing a critical role in consciousness. A trauma to each of these areas could lead to disruption of conscious experience. Ascending reticular formation, which plays a key role in consciousness, is the focus area of this work. We study the effect of trauma on the connection between the reticular formation and the rest of consciousness network that could lead to stable behavior of the brain, i.e. coma. The effect of increased inhibitory neurotransmitter on the occurrence of unconsciousness is displayed as well. We also show how a local boost would affect a brain in the coma.

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Acknowledgements

Sajad Jafari was supported by Iran NationalScience Foundation (No. 96000815).

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  1. Biomedical Engineering Department, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, 15875-4413, Iran

    Sara Kamali, Shahriar Gharibzadeh & Sajad Jafari

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  1. Sara Kamali
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Kamali, S., Gharibzadeh, S. & Jafari, S. A new look to coma from the viewpoint of nonlinear dynamics. Nonlinear Dyn 92, 2119–2131 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11071-018-4184-3

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