SCIENCE NOTEBOOK | Small study by Michigan University detects signs of activity in dying brain

WE have all heard of near-death experiences such as seeing one’s entire life passing before one’s eyes and visits from departed loved ones. A recent small study by University of Michigan researchers detected intriguing brain wave patterns in four comatose patients who passed away following cardiac arrest in hospital after life support had been removed. The work, led by Jimo Borijigin, provides evidence of a surge of activity correlated with consciousness in the dying brain. It was published in a recent issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The team recorded similar signatures of gamma activation—considered the fastest brain activity and associated with consciousness—in dying brains of both animals and humans. Because of the small sample size, the authors have cautioned against making universal statements about the findings’ implications.