Neuroscience: The Key to Consciousness May Not Be under the Streetlight

Direct pharmacological stimulation of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) restores wakefulness in anesthetized rats, providing causal evidence that the PFC plays a key role in conscious experience. This finding helps resolve debates about the region's importance, as prior evidence was largely correlational.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Key theories of consciousness predict that the prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays important roles, but there has been relatively little causal evidence showing that manipulation of activity in the region can broadly affect conscious experiences. A new study provides crucial findings to help resolve this issue, showing that direct pharmacological stimulation of PFC restores wakefulness in anesthetized rats.