Computational modelling shows evidence in support of both sensory and frontal theories of consciousness.
Neurosci Conscious September 23, 2025 Kavindu H Bandara, Elise G Rowe, Marta I Garrido 2 citations
The prefrontal cortex's role in consciousness is contested: frontal theories claim it is necessary, while sensory theories argue consciousness arises from the posterior cortex alone, with prefrontal activity only reflecting reporting. Re-analyzing EEG data from 30 participants in a no-report inattentional blindness paradigm, source reconstruction and dynamic causal modeling estimated effective connectivity between prefrontal and posterior regions. A hypothesis-driven analysis found that both theories could explain the data, with a slight preference for frontal theories: a model disabling backward connections within the posterior cortex explained awareness better (53%) than one without backward connections from prefrontal to sensory regions. The findings suggest a subtle but crucial frontal contribution and call for revising current theories.