Neuroimaging and consciousness: applications of PET, SPECT, and advanced MRI modalities.
Raj N Patel, Shiv Patil, Alexander Gerlach, Eric Teichner, Deepak Indrakanti, Robert Subtirelu, Joseph Zwillenberg, Om H Gandhi, Jaskeerat Gujral, Thomas Werner, Abass Alavi, Andrew B Newberg
American journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging January 1, 2026 DOI: 10.62347/pprc2997 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractAdvanced neuroimaging studies have examined consciousness across normal waking, sleep, anesthesia, and disorders like seizures or schizophrenia, as well as altered states induced by meditation or psychoactive substances. This review discusses relevant research and highlights limitations and challenges in studying consciousness with PET, SPECT, and advanced MRI modalities.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Consciousness Brain imaging Cerebral blood flow Cerebral metabolism |
| Key finding | Neuroimaging studies have explored consciousness in various states and induction methods, but face significant limitations and challenges. |
Abstract
A growing number of advanced neuroimaging studies have been used to evaluate the nature of consciousness. Such studies have focused on various states of consciousness as well as ways of inducing altered states of consciousness. Various states of consciousness include the normal waking state, sleep states, the brain under anesthesia, and the impact of disorders such as seizures or schizophrenia. The induction of altered states of consciousness includes practices such as meditation or the use of psychoactive substances leading to psychedelic effects. This paper reviews some of the relevant research and then considers some of limitations and challenges for studying consciousness with neuroimaging, particularly via positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) modalities.