Deep Coma and Dentistry: Could a Montreal Researcher’s Finding Help Save Lives?
Dr. Florin Amzica of the University of Montreal faculty of dentistry recently published in PLoS ONE an article on never before reported cerebral activity in people with a flat electroencephalogram (EGG).
Dr. Amzica is an associate professor and the head of the laboratory on sleep neurophysiology and altered state of consciousness at the University of Montreal. His research interests include the understanding and management of dentistry-related sleep disorders.
The JCDA Oasis team spoke with Dr. Amzica to find out more about his groundbreaking finding. Here are the study key points.
Research highlights
- Brain activity extends beyond deep coma associated with a flat EEG.
- The brain may survive deep coma associated with a flat EEG, given the preservation of neuronal integrity.
- The irreversibility of brain damage should not be established from the scalp level only.
- For patients with a flat EEG, clinicians should be aware of the “new frontier” offered by the newly described n-complex state.
Looking forward
This finding opens new perspectives:
- It could help complete the criteria for cerebral death, with further applications in the field of organ transplant.
- It might prove beneficial for people needing to be maintained in deep coma for neuroprotection.
Dr. Amzica and his colleagues think that the n-complex state would prove better for preserving the brain plasticity than the “flat line” state. However, thorough testing needs to be conducted before applying this new concept, to assess whether the n-complex state leads to damages or significant changes to brain structures. Other potential applications might be discovered during the verification stage.
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I read about people coming back or near-dead experience and the fact that the scientific world is contesting it .
With the results of this study a door is open and much more to come ! Finally !
Very interesting article. Dr. Bogdan Florea and Dr. Florin Amzica are two talented Romanian specialists. Thank you for sharing and success to them!