Frontiers in neurology
January 1, 2020
Peter Fazekas, Georgina Nemeth
14 citations
Dreaming, mind-wandering, and hypnotic dreams may share underlying neural mechanisms, challenging earlier theories. Hobson's AIM theory mapped states of consciousness along dimensions of brain activity, input source, and neurochemical modulation, linking REM dreaming to other altered states like hypnosis. However, hypnosis is not a sleep-like state, and dreaming is not REM-centric. The neuro-cognitive theory places dreaming and mind-wandering on a continuum driven by default-mode network activity, questioning AIM theory. This paper argues that hypnotic dreams—experiences arising from explicit suggestions during hypnosis—can inform the neuro-cognitive theory, and comparing them with dreaming and mind-wandering may advance understanding of consciousness.
Frontiers in neurology
January 1, 2020
Baland Jalal, Ludovico Moruzzi, Andrea Zangrandi et al.
13 citations
A small pilot study tested Meditation-Relaxation (MR) therapy for sleep paralysis (SP) in ten patients with narcolepsy. Over eight weeks, the six patients receiving MR therapy showed a 50% reduction in days with SP and a 54% reduction in total SP episodes in the last month, with large within-group effect sizes. The four patients in the control group (deep breathing) did not show similar improvement. These preliminary findings provide the first proof-of-concept evidence that MR therapy may reduce frequent SP, and the authors cautiously suggest the approach might generalize to people with isolated SP.
Frontiers in neurology
January 1, 2019
Carla Thür, Marte Roel Lesur, Christopher J Bockisch et al.
12 citations
The sense of having a body depends on integrating multiple senses and prior beliefs, but the role of the vestibular system—which detects gravity—is not well understood. In an experiment, participants viewed a virtual body in front of them through a head-mounted display while receiving tactile stimulation on their back either synchronously or asynchronously. Tilting the virtual body created a conflict between visual and gravity-related cues about body orientation. Self-identification with the virtual body decreased when this visuo-graviceptive conflict was present.
Frontiers in neurology
January 1, 2025
Martina Cacciatore, Francesca Giulia Magnani, Filippo Barbadoro et al.
11 citations
A systematic review of 167 articles over the past 20 years examined which thalamic nuclei are most involved in consciousness. Most evidence (284 out of 346 pieces) pointed to the intralaminar nuclear group, especially the centromedian-parafascicular complex (CM-Pf), as key for generating, modulating, and maintaining the level of consciousness. Although studies varied widely in methods (brain stimulation, anesthesia, brain damage) and populations (healthy and pathological humans, animals), the findings consistently support a central role for CM-Pf. These results reinforce the rationale for brain stimulation therapies targeting CM-Pf in disorders of consciousness and suggest other potential thalamic targets for intervention.
Frontiers in neurology
January 1, 2024
Wolfram Strupp
5 citations
Electromagnetic (EM) field theories of consciousness propose that an epineural EM field, through its physical binding properties, unifies disparate neuronal information differences from sensory and cognitive processes, enabling phenomenal consciousness. This article examines the physical properties of such a field, arguing that EM interaction provides both integration and necessary differentiating contrasts of information. It presents a new variant of EM field theory that addresses the problem of qualia in connection with emergentism. The author suggests that demonstrating the epineural EM field's decisive role in consciousness would reduce the need for metaphysical assumptions about the binding problem. An experimental method using shielding of EM fields, rather than external stimuli, is proposed to test the theory without affecting wired neuronal processing.
Frontiers in neurology
January 1, 2025
Tan Zhang, Nan Wang, Xiaoke Chai et al.
2 citations
In patients with disorders of consciousness, acute pressure pain stimulation did not produce significant changes in oxygenated or deoxygenated hemoglobin concentrations across multiple brain regions, indicating minimal activation of pain-related areas. However, functional connectivity between the primary somatosensory cortex, primary motor cortex, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex significantly increased during stimulation, with correlation coefficients exceeding 0.9. This enhanced coordination among sensory, motor, and cognitive regions suggests that the brain continues to process pain information through altered network connectivity even when regional activation is absent. The findings underscore the potential of functional connectivity measures for evaluating pain processing in patients with disorders of consciousness.
Frontiers in neurology
January 1, 2025
Chunyan Zhao, Meijiao Zhang, Qingping Zhang et al.
2 citations
Among 20 patients with the claustrum sign on brain MRI, febrile infection-related epilepsy syndrome (FIRES) was the most common diagnosis (60%), followed by antibody-negative autoimmune encephalitis (20%), myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (15%), and Wilson's disease (5%). Seizures occurred in 85% and impaired consciousness in 70%. The claustrum sign appeared a median of 11.5 days after symptom onset, was transient in most cases, and resolved by a median of 53 days. Patients with FIRES had the worst outcomes—all developed chronic epilepsy, 75% had poor memory and calculation—while those with autoimmune encephalitis or MOGAD had favorable outcomes. The claustrum sign likely represents a transient neuroinflammatory lesion and may be an imaging marker of neuroinflammation, with lesions potentially contributing to seizures and impaired consciousness through disrupted connectivity.
Frontiers in neurology
January 1, 2025
Sui H Wong, Janet Wingrove
1 citation
Visual snow syndrome involves intrusive visual symptoms linked to dysregulation in brain networks such as the Salience Network, Default Mode Network, and thalamocortical circuits. This perspective paper proposes that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy modified for visual symptoms (MBCT-vision) may help by addressing attentional mechanisms like heightened vigilance and threat attribution. The intervention enhances attentional flexibility, metacognitive awareness, and a non-reactive stance toward symptoms, with group format offering additional validation. Potential neuroplastic changes in the Default Mode Network are discussed as underlying improvements.
Frontiers in neurology
January 1, 2025
Wenjia He, Xinyu Lyu, Hui Zhang et al.
In people with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), resting-state functional connectivity (FC) between brain regions involved in vestibular, motor, and sensory processing is abnormally elevated compared to healthy controls. After a canalith repositioning maneuver, whole-brain average FC strength decreased significantly, and connectivity between specific region pairs—including prefrontal cortex, occipital cortex, middle temporal gyrus, motor cortex, and somatosensory cortex—returned to normal levels. Clinical symptoms also improved: the Dizziness Handicap Inventory score dropped by 23.4% and the Visual Analogue Scale score showed a significant reduction. The findings suggest BPPV involves compensatory enhancement of the vestibulo-sensorimotor network, and that repositioning therapy restores pathologically enhanced FC to normal, supporting functional near-infrared spectroscopy as a potential objective biomarker for evaluating BPPV neural mechanisms and treatment efficacy.