Source: European Research Council

Mechanisms of anesthesia

Neuroscientist Matthew Larkum has been awarded an Advanced Grant from the European Research Council (ERC) for his research project “Dendro-somatic coupling and global neuronal signalling“. His research group at the Institute of Biology at Humboldt-Universität Berlin will focus on the basis of anesthesia in the brains of mammals, including humans. A recent discovery in Matthew Larkum’s group suggests a possible mechanism that explains the effects of anesthetics. They found that anesthetics block the flow of information in the principal neurons of the cerebral cortex, preventing them from transmitting feedback information. This is consistent with the observation that anesthesia leads to a massive reduction in global neuronal signaling, especially feedback – a well-established finding. With the ERC funding of 2.5 million euros, Matthew Larkum’s group will spend the next five years focusing on why anesthesia has this effect on neurons in the cerebral cortex.

Source: HU Press Portal, from 26.04.2022 published by Stabsstelle Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit

See also: NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence Press Release