Frontiers in Psychology
July 8, 2016
Talis eBachmann
This opinion article argues that the contrastive analysis approach, which compares neural activity during conscious versus unconscious perception, has been the most productive method in consciousness research. It contends that this method is not merely a tool but has shaped the very questions researchers ask about consciousness. The author suggests that focusing on the contents of consciousness, particularly through criterion contents of report, provides a more tractable path forward than seeking a single neural correlate of consciousness. The article concludes that the contrastive approach will continue to yield progress by refining our understanding of the neural differences underlying conscious experience.
Frontiers in Psychology
July 4, 2016
Gustav eMarkkula
A model-based analysis proposes that the neural correlates of consciousness (NCC) may not be experiment-independent. The author argues that perception and action selection are fundamentally similar, referring to perceptual neuronal activations as covert behavior. A narrative behavior model is outlined, describing how the brain selects covert and overt behaviors to construct a multi-level narrative about what it is like to be the individual. The hypothesis suggests that we admit conscious experience of X when we find ourselves acceptably capable of performing narrative behavior describing X. The account reconciles conflicting empirical results from competing theories and suggests well-defined, experiment-independent NCCs are unlikely to exist. The analysis also discusses how an organism could adopt notions of subjective experience and explanatory gaps.
Frontiers in Psychology
December 2, 2015
T. V. van Leeuwen, W. Singer, D. Nikolić
Synesthesia, where sensory stimuli or cognitive concepts trigger additional perceptual experiences, offers a valuable window into consciousness. The authors argue that studying synesthesia helps identify mental and physiological processes underlying conscious experience. They review research emphasizing the role of semantics in forming synesthetic associations in the brain. The interplay between semantics and sensory input, particularly using ambiguous stimuli to induce synesthesia, can aid in studying neural correlates of consciousness. Additionally, alterations in brain networks and functional connectivity associated with synesthesia provide insights into consciousness.
Frontiers in Psychology
October 30, 2014
K. Sandberg, L. M. Andersen, M. Overgaard
Moving beyond the traditional method of contrasting conscious and unconscious conditions can improve the search for the neural correlates of consciousness (NCC). Existing paradigms that control for precursors and consequences of consciousness offer advantages but also have pitfalls. Multivariate decoding of neural activity patterns is proposed as a supplement because it can detect which patterns consistently predict conscious experiences on single trials. The NCC proper should be consistently predictive, whereas consequences of consciousness may not occur on every trial and prerequisites may be present without conscious experience, making both less predictive.
Frontiers in Psychology
September 24, 2014
Tom Alexander de Graaf, Alexander T eSack
Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can help clarify which brain processes are necessary for conscious vision versus those that are merely correlated with it. Neuroimaging methods like fMRI or EEG reveal brain activity linked to conscious perception, but they cannot distinguish whether that activity is a prerequisite, a consequence, or a substrate of conscious experience. By temporarily altering brain activity, NIBS allows researchers to test causal roles, thereby disentangling the neural correlates of consciousness. This review discusses how these techniques advance understanding of the brain mechanisms underlying conscious vision.
Frontiers in Psychology
September 16, 2014
Talis eBachmann, Anthony G Hudetz
Consciousness arises from the interaction of two distinct brain mechanisms: one that represents the specific contents of perception and cognition (the data) and another that regulates the level of activity of those contents. Neither mechanism alone is sufficient; without specific contents there is no conscious experience, and without sufficient activity those contents remain unconscious. When both are activated to the necessary degree, they jointly provide conditions sufficient for conscious experience to emerge. This theoretical integration combines two previously separate research traditions—one studying the contents of conscious experience and the other studying the level of consciousness—and emphasizes understanding the mechanisms of consciousness rather than mere correlates.
Frontiers in Psychology
September 16, 2014
Joaquin eNavajas, Hernan Gonzalo Rey, Rodrigo eQuian Quiroga
A review of studies on the neural correlates of consciousness (NCCs) argues that disagreements in the field arise because different studies capture different conscious processes. The authors advocate for paradigms that produce different perceptual outputs from identical visual inputs. They distinguish perceptual awareness, linked to a boost in object-selective neural assemblies, from contextual awareness, reflected in the firing of concept neurons in the medial temporal lobe that trigger rich representations of context, associations, and memories.
Frontiers in Psychology
May 22, 2014
Srivas eChennu, Tristan A Bekinschtein
The interplay between top-down and bottom-up attention and consciousness is often examined during sleep, sedation, and disorders of consciousness such as the vegetative state (VS) and minimally conscious state (MCS). The auditory oddball paradigm, which elicits the mismatch negativity (MMN) and P300 event-related potentials, is a common tool for assessing cognitive processing in these contexts. The P300 wave can be separated into the earlier P3a, linked to bottom-up attention, and the later P3b, linked to top-down attention. Emerging evidence from healthy volunteers and patients reveals dissociations between attention and awareness across these states, highlighting neurophysiological and cognitive parallels and differences that inform theoretical frameworks.
Frontiers in Psychology
May 22, 2014
Daniel eCollerton
Psychological treatments for emotional distress produce lasting changes in cognitive and emotional consciousness and brain function. Pre and post treatment functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging localizes brain changes following psychotherapy to frontal, cingulate, and limbic circuits, which support a wide range of conscious experiences. Multivoxel Pattern Analysis of distributed changes across these brain areas may distinguish between different states of consciousness, illustrating the holistic nature of consciousness and the interplay between brain and consciousness.
Frontiers in Psychology
May 22, 2014
Daniel eBor, Anil K Seth
The prefrontal parietal network (PPN) is closely linked to both consciousness and cognitive processes like attention, working memory, and executive control. Although attention and consciousness can be dissociated under certain circumstances, attention as a content selection and boosting mechanism is an important and necessary aspect of consciousness. Chunking, which involves detecting useful patterns within integrated, attended information, activates the PPN particularly robustly compared to other cognitively demanding tasks. The authors propose that these cognitive functions together form the core psychological components of consciousness, and that the main evolutionary purpose of consciousness may be to provide innovative solutions to complex or novel problems.