CNN Central News & Network–ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: How anesthetic agents interact with the brain’s neural circuits and how they impact our consciousness—why a person becomes unconscious or their brain enters a dormant state after anesthesia—will soon be answered through a new study.

This research is being conducted by two senior doctors from the Department of Anesthesiology at Bhopal Memorial Hospital and Research Centre (BMHRC), Saifullah Tipu and Dr. Sarika Katiyar. Assisting them in this research are Dr. Anirban Bandhopadhyay, a senior scientist at the National Institute of Materials in Tsukuba, Japan, Associate Professor Tanushree Dutta from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), and neuropsychologist Rupesh Ranjan from the Department of Psychiatry at BMHRC. This research will reveal important facts about the mental state of patients during medical procedures, which will aid in providing better treatment. The study has received all necessary approvals and is expected to be completed within a year.

Lead investigator and Professor of Anesthesiology at BMHRC, Dr. Saifullah Tipu, explained that they have received a machine called a Spectrum Analyzer with the help of Dr. Bandhopadhyay. This machine detects signals in the brain. For this research, a probe attached to this machine will be placed on the foreheads of selected patients before anesthesia, after anesthesia, and after surgery, which will record the waves emitted from the forehead during these three different states. Based on the data obtained, Bandhopadhyay will develop a language to interpret the patient’s mental state. Dr. Sarika Katiyar, another researcher and professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, added that the EEG machine, commonly used for diagnosing conditions like epilepsy, also detects neural signals but at a lower frequency. The Spectrum Analyzer will have a frequency of 6-26 MHz, which will detect neural signals that the EEG machine cannot. They are expecting another advanced machine soon, which will further aid in the research. She also assured that the entire process is completely safe and does not cause any discomfort to the patient.

Benefits to the general public from this research:

Better management: Understanding how anesthesia affects brain activity will enable doctors to determine the appropriate dosage for each patient. This will help reduce the risks and complications following surgery, making surgeries safer and benefiting patients with faster recovery times.

For patients dealing with unbearable pain: The research will help explore alternatives to narcotics used in pain management. It will also assist in the better treatment of sleep disorders such as sleep apnea and insomnia.

Personalized treatment protocols: By understanding a patient’s brain activity pattern, personalized treatment protocols can be developed, benefiting especially the elderly and patients suffering from neurological disorders.

Encouraging further research: Further research could lead to advanced anesthetic drugs that are safer and have fewer side effects. Researchers in neurology, psychiatry, and biomedical engineering will be inspired to pursue further studies, leading to innovative solutions in medical science.

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“Along with patient care, BMHRC is also focusing on research. This research will reveal new insights into the brain and anesthesia, which will be highly beneficial for medical science and will also benefit patients in the future.”