Using Brain Stimulation to Disentangle Neural Correlates of Conscious Vision

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.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Research into the neural correlates of consciousness (NCCs) has blossomed, due to the advent of new and increasingly sophisticated brain research tools. Neuroimaging has uncovered a variety of brain processes that relate to conscious perception, obtained in a range of experimental paradigms. But methods such as fMRI or EEG do not always afford inference on the role these brain processes play in conscious vision. Such empirical neural correlates of consciousness could reflect neural prerequisites, neural consequences, or neural substrates of a conscious experience. Here, we take a closer look at the use of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques in this context. We discuss and review how NIBS methodology can enlighten our understanding of brain mechanisms underlying conscious vision by disentangling the empirical neural correlates of consciousness.