"Anesthesia Induces Unconsciousness by Disrupting Brain Activity, Study Finds"

MIT researchers have discovered that the common sedative propofol disrupts the brain's ability to control highly excitable neurons, leading to a loss of consciousness. By studying brain activity in rhesus macaque monkeys, they found that propofol inhibits inhibitory neurons, causing escalating instability in brain activity. This new theory adds to the complex understanding of how anesthetics work, with potential implications for improving the safety of various anesthetic drugs.