eLife
May 22, 2025
Michael Pereira, Nathan Faivre, Fosco Bernasconi et al.
3 citations
Neurons in the subthalamic nucleus and thalamus, subcortical brain regions traditionally linked to motor and cognitive control, also play a role in perceptual consciousness. Recording single-neuron activity in patients undergoing deep brain stimulation surgery, researchers found that a significant proportion of these neurons changed their firing rate while participants anticipated a weak vibrotactile stimulus. The firing rate of 23% of these neurons differed between detected and undetected stimuli. This direct neurophysiological evidence suggests that subcortical structures contribute to conscious detection, challenging the prevailing cortico-centric view of the neural correlates of consciousness.
eLife
January 13, 2026
François Stockart, Alexis Robin, Hal Blumenfeld et al.
Identifying neural correlates of perceptual consciousness (NCC) remains difficult because most studies use non-invasive brain measures that lack the spatial or temporal precision to separate consciousness from other cognitive processes. Low sensitivity also makes null findings hard to interpret. This review argues that human intracranial recordings—which offer high spatiotemporal resolution, better signal sensitivity, and broad brain coverage—can advance the search for NCCs. It examines studies at the single-neuron and population level, evaluates their implications for debates between cognitive and sensory theories of consciousness, and discusses current limitations and future directions using emerging technologies and experimental paradigms.
bioRxiv Preprint Server
January 27, 2023
Michael Pereira, Nathan Faivre, Fosco Bernasconi et al.
preprint
Neurons in the subthalamic nucleus and thalamus, subcortical brain structures, modulate their activity during expectation of a weak vibrotactile stimulus on the hand, and 23% of these neurons show firing rates that differ between detected and undetected stimuli. This provides direct neurophysiological evidence that these subcortical regions are involved in perceptual consciousness, challenging the prevailing cortico-centric view.
Trends in cognitive sciences
June 1, 2022
Michael Pereira, Denis Perrin, Nathan Faivre
Perceptual experiences are not static but fluctuate as a leaky evidence accumulation process (LEAP), where confidence corresponds to the peak accumulated evidence. This proposal extends evidence accumulation models from decision-making to explain the dynamics of conscious perception itself, suggesting that percepts fade in and out of consciousness independent of tasks. The account offers a mechanistic understanding of phenomenal qualities like intensity and duration, moving beyond simple detection. Limitations and implications for neural correlates of consciousness are discussed.