Beyond the neural correlates of consciousness: using brain stimulation to elucidate causal mechanisms underlying conscious states and contents
November 12, 2020 Corinne A Bareham, M. Oxner, Tim Gastrell et al.
Consciousness arises from brain and nervous system activity, producing subjective experiences and awareness of specific content. Researchers have used neuroimaging to identify neural correlates of consciousness, but correlates are not causes. To understand the processes generating consciousness, brain activity must be manipulated. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) offers one method to examine effects on conscious states and contents. This review surveys consciousness research with emphasis on TMS studies, covering neural substrates of states of consciousness (wakefulness, sleep, disorders of consciousness) and contents of consciousness via perceptual awareness literature, highlighting controversies and future research directions.