Book Probes Effects of Anesthesia on Memory & Consciousness

Dr. Anthony Hudetz Edits Book on Anesthetic Modulation of Memory, Consciousness

Anthony Hudetz, DBM, Ph.D., professor of anesthesiology, physiology and biophysics, co-edited a book, Suppressing the Mind: Anesthetic Modulation of Memory and Consciousness, which was recently published by Humana Press.

Memory and consciousness are two expressions of the mind that are suppressed by anesthetics. This brings great relief to surgical patients, but clinicians and scientists have yet to fully understand the mechanisms by which these effects are achieved.

The book is a multidisciplinary collection of original results and authoritative overviews of the current state of knowledge written by investigators who are internationally known for their significant contribution to our current understanding of the mechanism of anesthesia. It attempts to bridge molecular, cellular, integrative and systems-level actions of anesthetics with respect to their effects on consciousness and memory.

Through a better understanding of how anesthetics work, the authors hope to also uncover the neurobiological bases of some of the deepest mysteries of the human mind; how it self-reflectively knows, perceives and remembers.

The book should appeal to anesthesiologists, neurologists, psychologists, neuroscientists — essentially anyone interested in anesthesia, consciousness or memory. It provides insight into the current state of knowledge, and a perspective for future treatments of the subject as guided by novel hypotheses.