Other Plausible Mechanisms of Anesthetic Action within the Framework of Spin-mediated Consciousness Theory

Abstract

We have recently discussed the mechanism of xenon anesthetic action in spin-mediated consciousness theory in light of the recent experimental findings. In this paper, we discuss some other plausible mechanisms of anesthetic action within the framework of spin-mediated consciousness theory. In one scenario, general anesthetics such as xenon may produce anesthesia by direct perturbations and/or distortions of neural spin networks alone or in addition to perturbing and/or distorting O₂ and/or NO pathways in neural membranes and proteins. In another scenario, the mind-pixels are comprised of unpaired electrons carried by transition metal ions, O₂ and/or NO caged-in/bound/absorbed to large molecules in neural membranes and proteins. In the latter, general anesthetics such as xenon may produce anesthesia by perturbing free/unbound O₂ and/or NO pathways in neural membranes and proteins and/or unpaired electron spin networks thus blocking and/or distorting their functions in consciousness. In either of the above scenarios, the nuclear spins of xenon 131 and xenon 129 may partially play the roles of displaced nuclear spins or unpaired electron spins, thus attenuate the anesthetic potency of nuclear-spin-carrying xenon isotopes observed by Li, et. al..