Caption: These above images explain the stages shown in the animated Coma Circuits. The continuous flow of body sensations through the ARAS (Ascending Reticular Activating System) network keeps us awake. But then alertness is knit into the final state of consciousness.
Unconsciousness may develop if any disruption occurs at any loop point between the connecting pathways of the anterior cingulate cortex, insular region, or intralaminar thalamic nuclei. Normal ARAS-filtered, enhanced sensory inputs from the body and medulla travel upwards to the brain, and are the real initiators of this awake drive. Red colored cortical activation depicts integrated inputs for awareness and normal awake states. White and green colored loops show the crucial networks needed for consciousness.