title: [Contribution of functional neuroimaging studies to the understanding of the mechanisms of general anesthesia].
abstract: Since the early beginning of anesthesia, almost 2 centuries ago, ignorance has prevailed regarding the cerebral mechanisms of the loss of consciousness induced by general anesthesia. The recent contribution of functional brain imaging studies has allowed considerable progress in that domain. Similarly, the study of brain function under general anesthesia is currently a major tool for the understanding of conscious phenomena. This functional approach leads to conceptual changes about the functioning brain and may ultimately provide tracks for new treatments and practical applications. All these aspects are reviewed in this paper, at the light of the most recent literature.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherches du Cyclotron et Département d'Anesthésie-Réanimation, CHU et Université de Liège, Liège, Belgique. Pierre.Boveroux@chu.ulg.ac.be
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boveroux
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bonhomme
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kirsch
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Noirhomme
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ledoux
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hans
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Laureys
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Luxen
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Brichant
mesh_terms: D000768:Anesthesia, General; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography