An adversarial collaboration to critically evaluate theories of consciousness
Oscar Ferrante, Urszula Gorska-Klimowska, Simon Henin, Rony Hirschhorn, Aya Khalaf, Alex Lepauvre, Ling Liu, David Richter, Yamil Vidal, Niccolò Bonacchi, Tanya Brown, Praveen Sripad, Marcelo Armendariz, Katarina Bendtz, Tara Ghafari, Dorottya Hetenyi, Jay Jeschke, Csaba Kozma, David R. Mazumder, Stephanie Montenegro, Alia Seedat, Abdelrahman Sharafeldin, Shujun Yang, Sylvain Baillet, David J. Chalmers, Radoslaw M. Cichy, Francis Fallon, Theofanis I. Panagiotaropoulos, Hal Blumenfeld, Floris P De Lange, Sasha Devore, Ole Jensen, Gabriel Kreiman, Huan Luo, Melanie Boly, Stanislas Dehaene, Christof Koch, Giulio Tononi, Michael Pitts, Liad Mudrik, Lucia Melloni
bioRxiv Preprint Server June 23, 2023 preprint DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.23.546249 via bioRxiv
Summary
An open science adversarial collaboration directly juxtaposed Integrated Information Theory (IIT) and Global Neuronal Workspace Theory (GNWT) by investigating neural correlates of visual experience. 256 human subjects viewed suprathreshold stimuli for variable durations while neural activity was measured with fMRI, MEG, and ECoG. Information about conscious content was found in visual, ventro-temporal, and inferior frontal cortex, with sustained responses in occipital and lateral temporal cortex reflecting stimulus duration, and content-specific synchronization between frontal and early visual areas.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Adversarial collaboration with preregistered experimental design |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 256 |
| Population | Human subjects |
| Key finding | Neural correlates of conscious content and duration were found that confirm some predictions of IIT and GNWT but substantially challenge both theories. |
Abstract
Different theories explain how subjective experience arises from brain activity1,2. These theories have independently accrued evidence, yet, confirmation bias and dependence on design choices hamper progress in the field3. Here, we present an open science adversarial collaboration which directly juxtaposes Integrated Information Theory (IIT)4,5 and Global Neuronal Workspace Theory (GNWT)6–10, employing a theory-neutral consortium approach11,12. We investigate neural correlates of the content and duration of visual experience. The theory proponents and the consortium developed and preregistered the experimental design, divergent predictions, expected outcomes, and their interpretation12. 256 human subjects viewed suprathreshold stimuli for variable durations while neural activity was measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging, magnetoencephalography, and electrocorticography. We find information about conscious content in visual, ventro-temporal and inferior frontal cortex, with sustained responses in occipital and lateral temporal cortex reflecting stimulus duration, and content-specific synchronization between frontal and early visual areas. These results confirm some predictions of IIT and GNWT, while substantially challenging both theories: for IIT, a lack of sustained synchronization within posterior cortex contradicts the claim that network connectivity specifies consciousness. GNWT is challenged by the general lack of ignition at stimulus offset and limited representation of certain conscious dimensions in prefrontal cortex. Beyond challenging the theories themselves, we present an alternative approach to advance cognitive neuroscience through a principled, theory-driven, collaborative effort. We highlight the challenges to change people’s mind 13 and the need for a quantitative framework integrating evidence for systematic theory testing and building.