The ‘correlates’ in neural correlates of consciousness
Tom A. de Graaf, Po‐jang Hsieh, Alexander T. Sack
Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews June 5, 2011 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2011.05.012 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractThe concept of 'consciousness' in the search for neural correlates of consciousness (NCC) is problematic, and the term 'correlates' is also confused. Brain events that covary with conscious experience can be neural substrates of the experience, but they can also be neural prerequisites or neural consequences. This work disentangles these different sorts of brain processes conceptually and proposes a concrete multi-pronged research program to distinguish them empirically in near-future consciousness research.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Cognitive psychology Level of consciousness Cognitive science Neuroscience Developmental psychology |
| Citations | 273 |
| Key finding | Brain events correlated with conscious experience can be neural substrates, prerequisites, or consequences, and a multi-pronged research program may empirically distinguish them. |
Abstract
In the search for neural correlates of consciousness (NCC), the concept of 'consciousness' remains problematic. We suggest that not only the 'consciousness' in neural correlates of consciousness is a confused term, but 'correlates' is as well. When brain events are found to covary with conscious experience, these brain events can be the neural substrates of the experience, as is often (implicitly) suggested, but they can also be neural prerequisites or neural consequences of the experience. We here disentangle these different sorts of brain processes conceptually. But we also propose a concrete multi-pronged research program that may, in near-future consciousness research, distinguish these brain processes empirically.