Research into the role of thalamocortical circuits in anesthesia-induced unconsciousness is difficult due to anatomical and functional complexity. Prior neuroimaging studies have examined either the thalamus as a whole or focused on specific subregions, overlooking the distinct neuronal subtypes like core and matrix cells. We conducted a study of heathy volunteers and functional magnetic resonance imaging during conscious baseline, deep sedation, and recovery. We advanced the functional gradient mapping technique to delineate the functional geometry of thalamocortical circuits, within a framework of the unimodal-transmodal functional axis of the cortex. Here we show a significant shift in this geometry during deep sedation, marked by a transmodal-deficient geometry. This alteration is closely linked to the spatial variations in the matrix cell composition within the thalamus. This research bridges cellular and systems-level understanding, highlighting the crucial role of thalamic core–matrix functional architecture in understanding the neural mechanisms of states of consciousness.

由于解剖和功能的复杂性，研究丘脑皮质回路在麻醉引起的无意识中的作用很困难。先前的神经影像学研究要么检查整个丘脑，要么侧重于特定的子区域，而忽略了核心细胞和基质细胞等不同的神经元亚型。我们对健康志愿者在清醒基线、深度镇静和恢复期间进行了功能磁共振成像研究。我们改进了功能梯度映射技术，以在皮质单峰-跨峰功能轴的框架内描绘丘脑皮质回路的功能几何形状。在这里，我们展示了深度镇静期间这种几何结构的显着变化，其特征是跨模态缺陷的几何结构。这种改变与丘脑内基质细胞组成的空间变化密切相关。这项研究连接了细胞和系统级的理解，强调了丘脑核心-基质功能结构在理解意识状态的神经机制中的关键作用。