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.
Denne historien er fra January 19, 2024-utgaven av Newsweek Europe.
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Denne historien er fra January 19, 2024-utgaven av Newsweek Europe.
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Falling for Romance
A new book, Nora Ephron at the Movies, celebrates the writer/director best known for her iconic rom-coms and strong female characters
Cracking the Norse Code
Walrus DNA has shown that Vikings were likely the first to have encountered Indigenous North Americans
Monumental Shift
The discovery of 165-million-year-old crystals Easter Island has upended the longheld notion of how the Earth's \"conveyor belt\" moves
'OUR FOREIGN POLICY AND DOMESTIC REFORMS ARE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN'
It is a well-known fact across the globe that the North Korean regime is irrational and unpredictable, but we have been consistent in strengthening our defense posture against the threat from North Korea since the Korean War, and I believe that their conventional capability is much inferior to that of the Korean military.
'They Read My Eulogy As I Lay in an Open Grave'
Like Paris Hilton, Natasia Pelowski claims she was subjected to abuse at a teenage therapy program
Russian Economy Faces 'Burnout'
Vladimir Putin admits difficulties” as the country’s key interest rate reaches a historic high
China's 'Silent Chemical War'
The U.S. must investigate Beijing's role in the manufacturing of fentanyl that is killing Americans, says one mom whose daughter died after accidentally taking the illicit substance
HARSH HEADWINDS
President Yoon Suk Yeol's BATTLE to reform a South Korea beset with structural problems under the specter of an increasingly aggressive neighbor to THE NORTH
Bridget Everett
BRIDGET EVERETT NEVER THOUGHT SHE'D BE THE LEAD OF A TV SHOW. \"I come from the downtown world in New York, a cabaret singer, and these things just don't happen, you don't find yourself with three seasons of HBO.
Amber Ruffin
A LATE-NIGHT COMEDY SHOW ON CNN? YES, and it's a game show, too.