Differential Dynamic Reorganization of Functional Connectivity Based on Phase Synchrony and Amplitude Envelope Coupling During Propofol Sedation

Background/Objectives: Consciousness fluctuations involve brain network reorganization, yet the underlying neural synchronization mechanisms remain unclear. This study examined the static and dynamic characteristics of alpha-band functional connectivity during propofol sedation from two dimensions: phase synchrony and amplitude coupling. Methods: Electroencephalography data from 20 healthy volunteers across baseline, mild sedation, moderate sedation, and recovery were analyzed. Source-level signals for 68 cortical regions of interest were reconstructed using sLORETA. Dynamic functional connectivity matrices for both weighted Phase Lag Index (wPLI) and amplitude envelope correlation (AEC) were computed using 5 s sliding windows. Dynamic connectivity states were identified through clustering analysis, and state occurrence rates were compared between drowsy and responsive participants across sedation levels. Results: Static analysis revealed a dissociation between the two metrics: during moderate sedation, wPLI showed significant suppression in posterior parieto-occipital regions, whereas AEC exhibited widespread whole-brain coupling enhancement. Dynamic clustering identified three wPLI states and five AEC states. Critically, although the two metrics exhibited spatially distinct dynamic reconfiguration patterns, with deepening sedation, the occurrence rate of the ventral connectivity pattern in wPLI and that of the medial prefrontal pattern in AEC both increased significantly, and these two patterns showed synergistic co-occurrence. This effect was more pronounced in the drowsy subgroup, with greater increases in both patterns. Conclusions: Propofol-induced alterations in consciousness are not characterized by linear attenuation along a single neural synchrony dimension, but rather by differential reorganization of phase- and amplitude-based functional connectivity across spatial configurations and temporal dynamics.