Computational modelling shows evidence in support of both sensory and frontal theories of consciousness
bioRxiv Preprint Server November 2, 2024 Kavindu H. Bandara, Elise G. Rowe, Marta I. Garrido preprint
The prefrontal cortex's role in consciousness is debated: frontal theories say it is necessary, while sensory theories argue consciousness arises from the posterior cortex alone. Re-analyzing EEG data from 30 participants in a no-report inattentional blindness paradigm, dynamic causal modeling estimated effective connectivity between prefrontal and posterior cortices. A data-driven search could not support either theory, but a hypothesis-driven analysis showed both 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 prefrontal-to-sensory backward connections. The findings suggest a subtle frontal contribution and call for revising current theories.