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arXiv · 2509.04454

Mechanisms for anesthesia, unawareness, respiratory depression, memory replay and sleep: MHb > IPN > PAG + DRN + MRN > claustrum > cortical slow waves

Karin Vadovičová
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Abstract

My findings show what causes loss of awareness, anesthesia, memory replay, opioid induced respiratory depression (OIRD), and slow-wave sleep (SWS). Opiates are fast pain relievers and anesthetics that can cause respiratory arrest. I found how mu-opioids and anesthetics by activating medial habenula (MHb) and/or interpeduncular nucleus (IPN) induce unawareness and slowdown respiration. MHb projects to IPN and both increase their glucose intake during anesthesia (Herkenham, 1981). The question is: What is the MHb-IPN circuit doing? I found that it promotes SWS, memory replay, sharp-wave ripples, spindles, hippocampo-cortical replay, synaptogenesis, rest and recovery, by activating median raphe (MRN) serotonin, and by inhibiting the theta state circuit, new memories encoding, awareness, arousal, alert wakefulness, and REM sleep. It causes also natural slowdown of respiration and heart rate, while it inhibits locomotion and arousal. This extended model adds role of the dentate gyrus>posterior septum>MHb>IPN>MRN>hippocampus + BF + claustrum>cortical slow-waves in memory replay, ripples, loss of awareness, SWS, and anesthesia. It proposes new neural mechanism for anesthetic ketamine, nitrous oxide, and phencyclidine effects: activation of the IPN>MRN>claustrum>cortical SWA circuit by the 5-HT2a receptors in the IPN and claustrum. My model shows why are ketamine and psychedelics anxiolytic and antidepressant. How they by activating the 5-HT2a receptors in vACC/infralimbic cortex increase safety, well-being signal, socializing, and cognitive flexibility, and attenuate fear, worries, anger, impulsivity, self-defence, and wanting. This model claims that mu-opioids, acetylcholine, nicotine, endocannabinoids, adenosine, GLP-1RA, and substance P activate the MHb-IPN-MRN circuit which promotes rest, recovery, repair, serotonin-BDNF-protein production, spines growth, and anti-inflammatory state.

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Karin Vadovičová. 2025-08-21. Mechanisms for anesthesia, unawareness, respiratory depression, memory replay and sleep: MHb > IPN > PAG + DRN + MRN > claustrum > cortical slow waves. https://doi.org/10.13140/rg.2.2.29677.97766

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