Baylor College of Medicine researchers find anesthetized brains predict words
Turns out, your brain doesn't completely switch off during anesthesia.
Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine discovered that even when people are knocked out, their brains still process language and can actually predict what word comes next in a story.
This challenges what we thought we knew about consciousness and could open up new ways to help people with neurological disorders communicate.
Neuropixels detect hippocampal responses without awareness
The team used high-tech Neuropixels probes to track brain activity in patients' hippocampi while they were under anesthesia.
They found the brain was reacting to unexpected sounds and keeping up with stories without the person being aware.
This could change how scientists think about consciousness and might someday lead to better tools for connecting with people who have impaired speech.