Consciousness in hibernation and synthetic torpor
Consciousness in hibernation and synthetic torpor
复制标题
DOI：
10.3233/jin-170063
复制
发表时间：
2017-01-01
影响因子：
1.8
通讯作者：
Cerri, Matteo
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Cerri, Matteo
虽然人类冬眠将为医疗应用和空间探索提供许多好处，但需要评估这一程序本身的内在风险，以及如果这一程序被滥用所涉及的风险。此外，在冬眠状态期间存在的独特的大脑状态提出了关于主体意识状态的问题。由于在动物实验中，这种状态下的皮层活动不同于睡眠、昏迷甚至全身麻醉，而类似于一种“缓慢觉醒”，因此不确定是否仍然存在残余意识。在这篇评论中，我将简要总结冬眠的文献和当前人工冬眠状态（合成休眠）的最新技术水平;然后，我将专注于冬眠期间观察到的大脑变化，这些变化如何改变意识的神经基质，以及冬眠作为量子生物学模型的可能性。最后，将提出一些关于使用合成麻痹技术的伦理考虑。
While human hibernation would provide many advantages for medical applications and space exploration, the intrinsic risks of the procedure itself, as well as those involved if the procedure were to be misused, need to be assessed. Moreover, the distinctive brain state that is present during a hibernation-like state raises questions regarding the state of consciousness of the subject. Since, in animal studies, the cortical activity of this state differs from that of sleep, coma, or even general anesthesia, and resembles a sort of "slowed wakefulness", it is uncertain whether residual consciousness may still be present. In this review, I will present a brief summary of the literature on hibernation and of the current state of the art in inducing a state of artificial hibernation (synthetic torpor); I will then focus on the brain changes that are observed during hibernation, on how these could modify the neural substrate of consciousness, and on the possible use of hibernation as a model for quantum biology. Finally, some ethical considerations on the use of synthetic torpor technology will be presented.