The magazine of the european research area European Commission Copenhagen, a missed chance?

REPORT

Self-consciousness, a vast field of research

W

hen all’s said and done, we know pretty little about how a general anaesthetic affects 

the body. It works well with some people and not with others. How do we explain this 

variability? What is taking place at the cell and gene level?

It is because she did not have all the answers to these questions that Marie-Elisabeth Faymonville 

developed hypno-anaesthesia techniques in 1992, and today is undertaking research into cognition. 

“What we do know is that vulnerable individuals can experience cognitive disturbances after gen-

eral anaesthesia. We also know that the working memory – the one that allows us to retain credit 

card codes for example – is less disturbed after surgery under hypnosis”, she tells us. 

“We would like to continue our research into the structures of self-consciousness using func-

tional MRI. To assess the repercussions of the abolition of consciousness after a general anaesthetic 

and after hypno-sedation. How is cognition altered? Does this affect ageing? It would be wonderful 

to put together such a project.”

Post-operative research of this type is, however, very difficult to organise because we have to 

motivate patients to come back and take part in tests after their surgery. Another far from negligible 

methodological obstacle is that the active patient participation required in hypnosis rules out using 

randomised, double blind studies. 

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