Subcortical correlates of consciousness with human single neuron recordings
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.