Riding the 'Wave of Death' Back to Consciousness

The end of life is not necessarily an abrupt, final shutting down of the brain but a series of changes that, in some cases, can even be reversed

- ARISTOS GEORGIOU

DEATH, CLINICALLY AND LEGALLY, is generally considered to be a well-defined state characterized by a complete and irreversible cessation of brain activities and functions. The moment of death, according to this view, is represented by a discrete event in which all brain processes suddenly cease.

But from a neurological point of view, death is a difficult concept to define. A growing body of evidence is demonstrating that death in the brain that appears at the end of consciousness is not marked by an abrupt switch that ends life but involves a process that can last several minutes. It is also accompanied by a complex set of changes in brain activity that, in some cases, is reversible.

Now a study of rats published in the journal Neurobiology of Disease has shed new light on the process of dying. The study authors believe the research could help scientists understand which groups of neurons, or nerve cells, in the brain are most vulnerable in the event of cardiorespiratory arrest. This could reduce the risk of neurological complications in these cases, they say.

Previous research has shown that after a long period of oxygen deprivation, known as anoxia, activity in the brain undergoes a series of successive changes.