fMRI lag structure during waking up from early sleep stages.
Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior September 1, 2021 Santiago Alcaide, Jacobo Sitt, Tomoyasu Horikawa et al. 13 citations
Waking up from early sleep involves a two-stage brain process. First, subcortical and sensorimotor structures activate before most cortical regions, followed by rapid whole-brain activation, with frontal regions engaging slightly later. A second, slower stage may then occur, where cortical regions activate before subcortical structures and the cerebellum. This pattern suggests subcortical structures play a key role in initiating and maintaining conscious states.