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Marchetti G. The why of the phenomenal aspect of consciousness: Its main functions and the mechanisms underpinning it. Front Psychol 2022; 13:913309. [PMID: 35967722 PMCID: PMC9368316 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.913309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
What distinguishes conscious information processing from other kinds of information processing is its phenomenal aspect (PAC), the-what-it-is-like for an agent to experience something. The PAC supplies the agent with a sense of self, and informs the agent on how its self is affected by the agent's own operations. The PAC originates from the activity that attention performs to detect the state of what I define "the self" (S). S is centered and develops on a hierarchy of innate and acquired values, and is primarily expressed via the central and peripheral nervous systems; it maps the agent's body and cognitive capacities, and its interactions with the environment. The detection of the state of S by attention modulates the energy level of the organ of attention (OA), i.e., the neural substrate that underpins attention. This modulation generates the PAC. The PAC can be qualified according to five dimensions: qualitative, quantitative, hedonic, temporal and spatial. Each dimension can be traced back to a specific feature of the modulation of the energy level of the OA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgio Marchetti
- Mind, Consciousness and Language Research Center, Alano di Piave, Italy
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Skipper JI. A voice without a mouth no more: The neurobiology of language and consciousness. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 140:104772. [PMID: 35835286 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Most research on the neurobiology of language ignores consciousness and vice versa. Here, language, with an emphasis on inner speech, is hypothesised to generate and sustain self-awareness, i.e., higher-order consciousness. Converging evidence supporting this hypothesis is reviewed. To account for these findings, a 'HOLISTIC' model of neurobiology of language, inner speech, and consciousness is proposed. It involves a 'core' set of inner speech production regions that initiate the experience of feeling and hearing words. These take on affective qualities, deriving from activation of associated sensory, motor, and emotional representations, involving a largely unconscious dynamic 'periphery', distributed throughout the whole brain. Responding to those words forms the basis for sustained network activity, involving 'default mode' activation and prefrontal and thalamic/brainstem selection of contextually relevant responses. Evidence for the model is reviewed, supporting neuroimaging meta-analyses conducted, and comparisons with other theories of consciousness made. The HOLISTIC model constitutes a more parsimonious and complete account of the 'neural correlates of consciousness' that has implications for a mechanistic account of mental health and wellbeing.
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53
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Liang XY, Guo ZH, Wang XD, Guo XT, Sun JW, Wang M, Li HW, Chen L. Event-Related Potential Evidence for Involuntary Consciousness During Implicit Memory Retrieval. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:902175. [PMID: 35832295 PMCID: PMC9272755 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.902175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Classical notion claims that a memory is implicit if has nothing to do with consciousness during the information retrieval from storage, or is otherwise explicit. Here, we demonstrate event-related potential evidence for involuntary consciousness during implicit memory retrieval. We designed a passive oddball paradigm for retrieval of implicit memory in which an auditory stream of Shepard tones with musical pitch interval contrasts were delivered to the subjects. These contrasts evoked a mismatch negativity response, which is an event-related potential and a neural marker of implicit memory, in the subjects with long-term musical training, but not in the subjects without. Notably, this response was followed by a salient P3 component which implies involvement of involuntary consciousness in the implicit memory retrieval. Finally, source analysis of the P3 revealed moving dipoles from the frontal lobe to the insula, a brain region closely related to conscious attention. Our study presents a case of involvement of involuntary consciousness in the implicit memory retrieval and suggests a potential challenge to the classical definition of implicit memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiu-Yuan Liang
- Auditory Research Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Zi-Hao Guo
- Auditory Research Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Xiao-Dong Wang
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiao-Tao Guo
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Jing-Wu Sun
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Ming Wang
- Auditory Research Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Hua-Wei Li
- Affiliated Eye and ENT Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lin Chen
- Auditory Research Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Affiliated Eye and ENT Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Hales CG, Ericson M. Electromagnetism's Bridge Across the Explanatory Gap: How a Neuroscience/Physics Collaboration Delivers Explanation Into All Theories of Consciousness. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:836046. [PMID: 35782039 PMCID: PMC9245352 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.836046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A productive, informative three decades of correlates of phenomenal consciousness (P-Consciousness) have delivered valuable knowledge while simultaneously locating us in a unique and unprecedented explanatory cul-de-sac. Observational correlates are demonstrated to be intrinsically very unlikely to explain or lead to a fundamental principle underlying the strongly emergent 1st-person-perspective (1PP) invisibly stowed away inside them. That lack is now solidly evidenced in practice. To escape our explanatory impasse, this article focuses on fundamental physics (the standard model of particle physics), which brings to light a foundational argument for how the brain is an essentially electromagnetic (EM) field object from the atomic level up. That is, our multitude of correlates of P-Consciousness are actually descriptions of specific EM field behaviors that are posed (hypothesized) as "the right" correlate by a particular theory of consciousness. Because of this, our 30 years of empirical progress can be reinterpreted as, in effect, the delivery of a large body of evidence that the standard model's EM quadrant can deliver a 1PP. That is, all theories of consciousness are, in the end, merely recipes that select a particular subset of the totality of EM field expression that is brain tissue. With a universal convergence on EM, the science of P-Consciousness becomes a collaborative effort between neuroscience and physics. The collaboration acts in pursuit of a unified explanation applicable to all theories of consciousness while remaining mindful that the process still contains no real explanation as to why or how EM fields deliver a 1PP. The apparent continued lack of explanation is, however, different: this time, the way forward is opened through its direct connection to fundamental physics. This is the first result (Part I). Part II posits, in general terms, a structural (epistemic) add-on/upgrade to the standard model that has the potential to deliver the missing route to an explanation of how subjectivity is delivered through EM fields. The revised standard model, under the neuroscience/physics collaboration, intimately integrates with the existing "correlates of-" paradigm, which acts as its source of empirical evidence. No existing theory of consciousness is lost or invalidated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin G. Hales
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Marissa Ericson
- Department of Psychology and Clinical Neuroscience, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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Falsaperla R, Collotta AD, Spatuzza M, Familiari M, Vitaliti G, Ruggieri M. Evidences of emerging pain consciousness during prenatal development: a narrative review. Neurol Sci 2022; 43:3523-3532. [PMID: 35246816 PMCID: PMC9120116 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-022-05968-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The study of consciousness has always been considered a challenge for neonatologists, even more when considering the uterine period. Our review aimed to individuate at what gestational age the fetus, which later became a premature infant, can feel the perception of external stimuli. Therefore, the aim of our review was to study the onset of consciousness during the fetal life. MATERIALS AND METHODS A literature search was performed in Medline-PubMed database. We included all papers found with the following MeSH words: "consciousness or cognition or awareness or comprehension or cognitive or consciousness of pain" in combination with "embryo or fetus or fetal life or newborn." Studies were selected if titles and/or abstracts suggested an association between formation of consciousness (the basics of neurodevelopment) and preterm infant or fetus. Titles and abstracts were first screened by three independent reviewers according to Cochrane Collaboration's recommendations. RESULTS From the literature review, we found only 8 papers describing the onset of consciousness in the transition period from fetus to premature newborn. Therefore, according to these papers, we temporally analyzed the formation of the thalamocortical connections that are the basis of consciousness. CONCLUSIONS We can conclude that from a neuroanatomical point of view, it is rather unlikely that the infant can be seen as a conscious human before 24 weeks of gestational age, thus before all the thalamocortical connections are established. Further literature data have to confirm this hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaele Falsaperla
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Neonatal Accompaniment Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Policlinico "Rodolico-San Marco," San Marco Hospital, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
- Unit of Clinical PaediatricsAzienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Policlinico"Rodolico-San Marco", San Marco Hospital, Catania, Italy.
| | - Ausilia Desiree Collotta
- Postgraduate Training Program in Pediatrics, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Michela Spatuzza
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation - The National Research Council of Italy (IRIB-CNR), Catania, Italy
| | - Maria Familiari
- Postgraduate Training Program in Pediatrics, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Giovanna Vitaliti
- Unit of Pediatrics, Department of Medical Sciences, Section of Pediatrics, University Hospital Sant'Anna, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
| | - Martino Ruggieri
- Unit of Rare Diseases of the Nervous System in Childhood, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Pediatrics and Child Neuropsychiatry, University of Catania, AOU "Policlinico," PO "G. Rodolico," Via S. Sofia, 87, 95128, Catania, Italy
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56
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Schleim S. Stable Consciousness? The "Hard Problem" Historically Reconstructed and in Perspective of Neurophenomenological Research on Meditation. Front Psychol 2022; 13:914322. [PMID: 35693482 PMCID: PMC9185404 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.914322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Finding a scientific, third-person explanation of subjective experience or phenomenal content is commonly called the "hard problem" of consciousness. There has recently been a surge in neuropsychological research on meditation in general and long-term meditators in particular. These experimental subjects are allegedly capable of generating a stable state of consciousness over a prolonged period of time, which makes experimentation with them an interesting paradigm for consciousness research. This perspective article starts out with a historical reconstruction of the "hard problem," tracing it back to Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz and Emil du Bois-Reymond in the 18th and 19th century, respectively, and the problem of introspection as already acknowledged by Wilhelm Wundt in the 19th century. It then discusses the prospects of research on long-term meditators from a contemporary perspective and with respect to the neurophenomenological research program already advocated by Francisco J. Varela.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Schleim
- Theory and History of Psychology, Heymans Institute for Psychological Research, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
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57
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Northoff G, Vatansever D, Scalabrini A, Stamatakis EA. Ongoing Brain Activity and Its Role in Cognition: Dual versus Baseline Models. Neuroscientist 2022:10738584221081752. [PMID: 35611670 DOI: 10.1177/10738584221081752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
What is the role of the brain's ongoing activity for cognition? The predominant perspectives associate ongoing brain activity with resting state, the default-mode network (DMN), and internally oriented mentation. This triad is often contrasted with task states, non-DMN brain networks, and externally oriented mentation, together comprising a "dual model" of brain and cognition. In opposition to this duality, however, we propose that ongoing brain activity serves as a neuronal baseline; this builds upon Raichle's original search for the default mode of brain function that extended beyond the canonical default-mode brain regions. That entails what we refer to as the "baseline model." Akin to an internal biological clock for the rest of the organism, the ongoing brain activity may serve as an internal point of reference or standard by providing a shared neural code for the brain's rest as well as task states, including their associated cognition. Such shared neural code is manifest in the spatiotemporal organization of the brain's ongoing activity, including its global signal topography and dynamics like intrinsic neural timescales. We conclude that recent empirical evidence supports a baseline model over the dual model; the ongoing activity provides a global shared neural code that allows integrating the brain's rest and task states, its DMN and non-DMN, and internally and externally oriented cognition.
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58
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Wainio-Theberge S, Wolff A, Gomez-Pilar J, Zhang J, Northoff G. Variability and task-responsiveness of electrophysiological dynamics: scale-free stability and oscillatory flexibility. Neuroimage 2022; 256:119245. [PMID: 35477021 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 04/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cortical oscillations and scale-free neural activity are thought to influence a variety of cognitive functions, but their differential relationships to neural stability and flexibility has never been investigated. Based on the existing literature, we hypothesize that scale-free and oscillatory processes in the brain exhibit different trade-offs between stability and flexibility; specifically, cortical oscillations may reflect variable, task-responsive aspects of brain activity, while scale-free activity is proposed to reflect a more stable and task-unresponsive aspect. We test this hypothesis using data from two large-scale MEG studies (HCP: n = 89; CamCAN: n = 195), operationalizing stability and flexibility by task-responsiveness and spontaneous intra-subject variability in resting state. We demonstrate that the power-law exponent of scale-free activity is a highly stable parameter, which responds little to external cognitive demands and shows minimal spontaneous fluctuations over time. In contrast, oscillatory power, particularly in the alpha range (8-13 Hz), responds strongly to tasks and exhibits comparatively large spontaneous fluctuations over time. In sum, our data support differential roles for oscillatory and scale-free activity in the brain with respect to neural stability and flexibility. This result carries implications for criticality-based theories of scale-free activity, state-trait models of variability, and homeostatic views of the brain with regulated variables vs. effectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soren Wainio-Theberge
- Mind, Brain Imaging, and Neuroethics Unit, Institute of Mental Health Research, Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, University of Ottawa, 1145 Carling Avenue, Rm. 6435, Ottawa, ON K1Z 7K4, Canada; Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.
| | - Annemarie Wolff
- Mind, Brain Imaging, and Neuroethics Unit, Institute of Mental Health Research, Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, University of Ottawa, 1145 Carling Avenue, Rm. 6435, Ottawa, ON K1Z 7K4, Canada
| | - Javier Gomez-Pilar
- Biomedical Engineering Group, University of Valladolid, Paseo de Belén, 15, Valladolid 47011, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina, (CIBER-BBN), Valladolid, Spain
| | - Jianfeng Zhang
- Mental Health Centre/7th Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Tianmu Road 305, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310013, China; College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Georg Northoff
- Mind, Brain Imaging, and Neuroethics Unit, Institute of Mental Health Research, Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, University of Ottawa, 1145 Carling Avenue, Rm. 6435, Ottawa, ON K1Z 7K4, Canada; Mental Health Centre/7th Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Tianmu Road 305, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310013, China; Centre for Cognition and Brain Disorders, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China.
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59
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Luppi AI, Mediano PAM, Rosas FE, Allanson J, Pickard JD, Williams GB, Craig MM, Finoia P, Peattie ARD, Coppola P, Owen AM, Naci L, Menon DK, Bor D, Stamatakis EA. Whole-brain modelling identifies distinct but convergent paths to unconsciousness in anaesthesia and disorders of consciousness. Commun Biol 2022; 5:384. [PMID: 35444252 PMCID: PMC9021270 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03330-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The human brain entertains rich spatiotemporal dynamics, which are drastically reconfigured when consciousness is lost due to anaesthesia or disorders of consciousness (DOC). Here, we sought to identify the neurobiological mechanisms that explain how transient pharmacological intervention and chronic neuroanatomical injury can lead to common reconfigurations of neural activity. We developed and systematically perturbed a neurobiologically realistic model of whole-brain haemodynamic signals. By incorporating PET data about the cortical distribution of GABA receptors, our computational model reveals a key role of spatially-specific local inhibition for reproducing the functional MRI activity observed during anaesthesia with the GABA-ergic agent propofol. Additionally, incorporating diffusion MRI data obtained from DOC patients reveals that the dynamics that characterise loss of consciousness can also emerge from randomised neuroanatomical connectivity. Our results generalise between anaesthesia and DOC datasets, demonstrating how increased inhibition and connectome perturbation represent distinct neurobiological paths towards the characteristic activity of the unconscious brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea I Luppi
- Division of Anaesthesia, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- The Alan Turing Institute, London, UK.
| | - Pedro A M Mediano
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Psychology, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Fernando E Rosas
- Center for Psychedelic Research, Department of Brain Science, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Data Science Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Centre for Complexity Science, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Judith Allanson
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Neurosciences, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK
| | - John D Pickard
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Division of Neurosurgery, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Guy B Williams
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Michael M Craig
- Division of Anaesthesia, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Paola Finoia
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Alexander R D Peattie
- Division of Anaesthesia, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Peter Coppola
- Division of Anaesthesia, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Adrian M Owen
- The Brain and Mind Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Lorina Naci
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - David K Menon
- Division of Anaesthesia, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Daniel Bor
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Psychology, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Emmanuel A Stamatakis
- Division of Anaesthesia, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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60
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Ellia F, Chis-Ciure R. Consciousness and complexity: Neurobiological naturalism and integrated information theory. Conscious Cogn 2022; 100:103281. [PMID: 35325632 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2022.103281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
In this paper we take a meta-theoretical stance and compare and assess two conceptual frameworks that endeavor to explain phenomenal experience. In particular, we compare Feinberg & Mallatt's Neurobiological Naturalism (NN) and Tononi's and colleagues Integrated Information Theory (IIT), given that the former pointed out some similarities between the two theories (Feinberg & Mallatt 2016c-d). To probe their similarity, we first give a general introduction into both frameworks. Next, we expound a ground-plan for carrying out our analysis. We move on to articulate a philosophical profile of NN and IIT, addressing their ontological commitments and epistemological foundations. Finally, we compare the two point-by-point, also discussing how they stand on the issue of artificial consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Ellia
- School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States.
| | - Robert Chis-Ciure
- School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States; Faculty of Philosophy, Department of Theoretical Philosophy, University of Bucharest, Romania
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61
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Chan A, Northoff G, Karasik R, Ouyang J, Williams K. Flights and Perchings of the BrainMind: A Temporospatial Approach to Psychotherapy. Front Psychol 2022; 13:828035. [PMID: 35444594 PMCID: PMC9014955 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.828035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This article introduces a process-oriented approach for improving present moment conceptualization in psychotherapy that is in alignment with neuroscience: the Temporospatial movements of mind (TSMM) model. We elaborate on seven temporal movements that describe the moment-to-moment morphogenesis of emotional feelings and thoughts from inception to maturity. Temporal refers to the passage of time through which feelings and thoughts develop, and electromagnetic activity, that among other responsibilities, bind information across time. Spatial dynamics extend from an undifferentiated to three dimensional experiences of emotional and cognitive processes. Neurophysiologically, spatial refers to structures within the brain and their varying interactions with one another. This article culminates in the development of an atheoretical temporospatial grid that may help clinicians conceptualize where patients are in their cognitive and emotional development to further guide technique.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aldrich Chan
- Graduate School of Education and Psychology, Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA, United States
- Center for Neuropsychology and Consciousness, Miami, FL, United States
- *Correspondence: Aldrich Chan,
| | - Georg Northoff
- Faculty of Medicine, Centre for Neural Dynamics, The Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research, Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Mental Health Centre, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Centre for Cognition and Brain Disorders, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ryan Karasik
- Graduate School of Education and Psychology, Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA, United States
- Center for Neuropsychology and Consciousness, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Jason Ouyang
- Graduate School of Education and Psychology, Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA, United States
- Center for Neuropsychology and Consciousness, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Kathryn Williams
- Graduate School of Education and Psychology, Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA, United States
- Center for Neuropsychology and Consciousness, Miami, FL, United States
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62
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Revach D, Salti M. Consciousness as the Temporal Propagation of Information. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:759683. [PMID: 35401129 PMCID: PMC8984189 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.759683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Our ability to understand the mind and its relation to the body is highly dependent on the way we define consciousness and the lens through which we study it. We argue that looking at conscious experience from an information-theory perspective can help obtain a unified and parsimonious account of the mind. Today's dominant models consider consciousness to be a specialized function of the brain characterized by a discrete neural event. Against this background, we consider subjective experience through information theory, presenting consciousness as the propagation of information from the past to the future. We examine through this perspective major characteristics of consciousness. We demonstrate that without any additional assumptions, temporal continuity in perception can explain the emergence of volition, subjectivity, higher order thoughts, and body boundaries. Finally, we discuss the broader implications for the mind-body question and the appeal of embodied cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Revach
- Department of Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’er Sheva, Israel
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63
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Almeida VN. The neural hierarchy of consciousness. Neuropsychologia 2022; 169:108202. [PMID: 35271856 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The chief undertaking in the studies of consciousness is that of unravelling "the minimal set of neural processes that are together sufficient for the conscious experience of a particular content - the neural correlates of consciousness". To this day, this crusade remains at an impasse, with a clash of two main theories: consciousness may arise either in a graded and cortically-localised fashion, or in an all-or-none and widespread one. In spite of the long-lasting theoretical debates, neurophysiological theories of consciousness have been mostly dissociated from them. Herein, a theoretical review will be put forth with the aim to change that. In its first half, we will cover the hard available evidence on the neurophysiology of consciousness, whereas in its second half we will weave a series of considerations on both theories and substantiate a novel take on conscious awareness: the levels of processing approach, partitioning the conscious architecture into lower- and higher-order, graded and nonlinear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor N Almeida
- Faculdade de Letras, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Av. Pres. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil.
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Wu H, Qi Z, Wu X, Zhang J, Wu C, Huang Z, Zang D, Fogel S, Tanabe S, Hudetz AG, Northoff G, Mao Y, Qin P. Anterior precuneus related to the recovery of consciousness. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 33:102951. [PMID: 35134706 PMCID: PMC8856921 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.102951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Degree centrality of anterior precuneus correlated with Glasgow Outcome Scale scores. Anterior precuneus was shown as a hub in multiple recoverable unconscious states. Anterior precuneus had similar connectivity pattern in recoverable unconscious states.
The neural mechanism that enables the recovery of consciousness in patients with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) remains unclear. The aim of the current study is to characterize the cortical hub regions related to the recovery of consciousness. In the current fMRI study, voxel-wise degree centrality analysis was adopted to identify the cortical hubs related to the recovery of consciousness, for which a total of 27 UWS patients were recruited, including 13 patients who emerged from UWS (UWS-E), and 14 patients who remained in UWS (UWS-R) at least three months after the experiment performance. Furthermore, other recoverable unconscious states were adopted as validation groups, including three independent N3 sleep datasets (n = 12, 9, 9 respectively) and three independent anesthesia datasets (n = 27, 14, 6 respectively). Spatial similarity of the hub characteristic with the validation groups between the UWS-E and UWS-R was compared using the dice coefficient. Finally, with the cortical regions persistently shown as hubs across UWS-E and validation states, functional connectivity analysis was further performed to explore the connectivity patterns underlying the recovery of consciousness. The results identified four cortical hubs in the UWS-E, which showed significantly higher degree centrality for UWS-E than UWS-R, including the anterior precuneus, left inferior parietal lobule, left inferior frontal gyrus, and left middle frontal gyrus, of which the degree centrality value also positively correlated with the patients’ Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) score that assessed global brain functioning outcome after a brain injury. Furthermore, the anterior precuneus was found with significantly higher similarity of hub characteristics as well as functional connectivity patterns between UWS-E and the validation groups. The results suggest that the recovery of consciousness may be relevant to the integrity of cortical hubs in the recoverable unconscious states, especially the anterior precuneus. The identified cortical hub regions could serve as potential treatment targets for patients with UWS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Wu
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510631, China
| | - Zengxin Qi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China; Neurosurgical Institute of Fudan University, Shanghai Clinical Medical Center of Neurosurgery, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Function Restoration and Neural Regeneration, Shanghai 200433, China; State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Xuehai Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China; Neurosurgical Institute of Fudan University, Shanghai Clinical Medical Center of Neurosurgery, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Function Restoration and Neural Regeneration, Shanghai 200433, China; State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China; Pazhou Lab, Guangzhou 510335, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Changwei Wu
- Research Center for Brain and Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Humanities in Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; Shuang-Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei 23561, Taiwan
| | - Zirui Huang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Center for Consciousness Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA
| | - Di Zang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China; Neurosurgical Institute of Fudan University, Shanghai Clinical Medical Center of Neurosurgery, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Function Restoration and Neural Regeneration, Shanghai 200433, China; State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Stuart Fogel
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Sean Tanabe
- Department of Anesthesiology and Center for Consciousness Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA
| | - Anthony G Hudetz
- Department of Anesthesiology and Center for Consciousness Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA
| | - Georg Northoff
- Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, ON K1Z 7K4, Canada; Mental Health Centre, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Ying Mao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China; Neurosurgical Institute of Fudan University, Shanghai Clinical Medical Center of Neurosurgery, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Function Restoration and Neural Regeneration, Shanghai 200433, China; State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
| | - Pengmin Qin
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510631, China; Pazhou Lab, Guangzhou 510335, China.
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65
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Barrett NF. Imaginative Culture and the Enriched Nature of Positive Experience. Front Psychol 2022; 13:831118. [PMID: 35317010 PMCID: PMC8934385 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.831118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
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Wiese W, Friston KJ. AI ethics in computational psychiatry: From the neuroscience of consciousness to the ethics of consciousness. Behav Brain Res 2022; 420:113704. [PMID: 34871706 PMCID: PMC9125160 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Methods used in artificial intelligence (AI) overlap with methods used in computational psychiatry (CP). Hence, considerations from AI ethics are also relevant to ethical discussions of CP. Ethical issues include, among others, fairness and data ownership and protection. Apart from this, morally relevant issues also include potential transformative effects of applications of AI-for instance, with respect to how we conceive of autonomy and privacy. Similarly, successful applications of CP may have transformative effects on how we categorise and classify mental disorders and mental health. Since many mental disorders go along with disturbed conscious experiences, it is desirable that successful applications of CP improve our understanding of disorders involving disruptions in conscious experience. Here, we discuss prospects and pitfalls of transformative effects that CP may have on our understanding of mental disorders. In particular, we examine the concern that even successful applications of CP may fail to take all aspects of disordered conscious experiences into account.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanja Wiese
- Institute of Philosophy II, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780 Bochum, Germany.
| | - Karl J Friston
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR, UK
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67
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The ConTraSt database for analysing and comparing empirical studies of consciousness theories. Nat Hum Behav 2022; 6:593-604. [DOI: 10.1038/s41562-021-01284-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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68
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From Shorter to Longer Timescales: Converging Integrated Information Theory (IIT) with the Temporo-Spatial Theory of Consciousness (TTC). ENTROPY 2022; 24:e24020270. [PMID: 35205564 PMCID: PMC8871397 DOI: 10.3390/e24020270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Time is a key element of consciousness as it includes multiple timescales from shorter to longer ones. This is reflected in our experience of various short-term phenomenal contents at discrete points in time as part of an ongoing, more continuous, and long-term ‘stream of consciousness.’ Can Integrated Information Theory (IIT) account for this multitude of timescales of consciousness? According to the theory, the relevant spatiotemporal scale for consciousness is the one in which the system reaches the maximum cause-effect power; IIT currently predicts that experience occurs on the order of short timescales, namely, between 100 and 300 ms (theta and alpha frequency range). This can well account for the integration of single inputs into a particular phenomenal content. However, such short timescales leave open the temporal relation of specific phenomenal contents to others during the course of the ongoing time, that is, the stream of consciousness. For that purpose, we converge the IIT with the Temporo-spatial Theory of Consciousness (TTC), which, assuming a multitude of different timescales, can take into view the temporal integration of specific phenomenal contents with other phenomenal contents over time. On the neuronal side, this is detailed by considering those neuronal mechanisms driving the non-additive interaction of pre-stimulus activity with the input resulting in stimulus-related activity. Due to their non-additive interaction, the single input is not only integrated with others in the short-term timescales of 100–300 ms (alpha and theta frequencies) (as predicted by IIT) but, at the same time, also virtually expanded in its temporal (and spatial) features; this is related to the longer timescales (delta and slower frequencies) that are carried over from pre-stimulus to stimulus-related activity. Such a non-additive pre-stimulus-input interaction amounts to temporo-spatial expansion as a key mechanism of TTC for the constitution of phenomenal contents including their embedding or nesting within the ongoing temporal dynamic, i.e., the stream of consciousness. In conclusion, we propose converging the short-term integration of inputs postulated in IIT (100–300 ms as in the alpha and theta frequency range) with the longer timescales (in delta and slower frequencies) of temporo-spatial expansion in TTC.
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Northoff G, Zilio F. Temporo-spatial Theory of Consciousness (TTC) - Bridging the gap of neuronal activity and phenomenal states. Behav Brain Res 2022; 424:113788. [PMID: 35149122 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Consciousness and its neural mechanisms remain a mystery. Current neuroscientific theories focus predominantly on the external input/stimulus and the associated stimulus-related activity during conscious contents. Despite all progress, we encounter two gaps: (i) a gap between spontaneous and stimulus-related activity; (ii) a gap between neuronal and phenomenal features. A novel, different, and unique approach, Temporo-spatial theory of consciousness (TTC) aims to bridge both gaps. The TTC focuses on the brain's spontaneous activity and how its spatial topography and temporal dynamic shape stimulus-related activity and resurface in the corresponding spatial and temporal features of consciousness, i.e., 'common currency'. The TTC introduces four temporo-spatial mechanisms: expansion, globalization, alignment, and nestedness. These are associated with distinct dimensions of consciousness including phenomenal content, access, form/structure, and level/state, respectively. Following up on the first introduction of the TTC in 2017, we review updates, further develop these temporo-spatial mechanisms, and postulate specific neurophenomenal hypotheses. We conclude that the TTC offers a viable approach for (i) linking spontaneous and stimulus-related activity in conscious states; (ii) determining specific neuronal and neurophenomenal mechanisms for the distinct dimensions of consciousness; (iii) an integrative and unifying framework of different neuroscientific theories of consciousness; and (iv) offers novel empirically grounded conceptual assumptions about the biological and ontological nature of consciousness and its relation to the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georg Northoff
- Mind, Brain Imaging and Neuroethics Research Unit, Institute of Mental Health Research, The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre and University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada; Centre for Cognition and Brain Disorders, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China; Mental Health Centre, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Federico Zilio
- Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
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70
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Kanaev IA. Evolutionary origin and the development of consciousness. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 133:104511. [PMID: 34942266 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.12.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
This review seeks to combine advances in anthropology and neuroscience to investigate the adaptive value of human consciousness. It uses an interdisciplinary perspective on the origin of consciousness to refute the most common fallacies in considering consciousness, particularly, disregarding the evolutionary origin of the subjective reality in looking for the neural correlates of consciousness and divorcing studies in neuroscience and behavioural sciences. Various explanations linked to consciousness in the field of neuroscience, supplemented with the theoretical explanation of an experience as an ongoing process of overlap between intrinsic neural dynamics and stimulation can be summarised as the stochastic dynamics of one's control system experienced by the individual in the form of subjective reality. This framework elaborates on the world-brain research program and lays foundation for the quantitative description of one's qualitative feelings and naturalistic science of consciousness. Furthermore, this study highlights the philosophical perspective of the inseparability between the physical correlates and the subjective reality contributing to the realistic ontology of conscious processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilya A Kanaev
- School of Philosophy, Zhengzhou University, 100, Science Avenue, High Tech Zone, Zhengzhou, 450001, People's Republic of China.
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71
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Pujol J, Blanco-Hinojo L, Ortiz H, Gallart L, Moltó L, Martínez-Vilavella G, Vilà E, Pacreu S, Adalid I, Deus J, Pérez-Sola V, Fernández-Candil J. Mapping the neural systems driving breathing at the transition to unconsciousness. Neuroimage 2021; 246:118779. [PMID: 34875384 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
After falling asleep, the brain needs to detach from waking activity and reorganize into a functionally distinct state. A functional MRI (fMRI) study has recently revealed that the transition to unconsciousness induced by propofol involves a global decline of brain activity followed by a transient reduction in cortico-subcortical coupling. We have analyzed the relationships between transitional brain activity and breathing changes as one example of a vital function that needs the brain to readapt. Thirty healthy participants were originally examined. The analysis involved the correlation between breathing and fMRI signal upon loss of consciousness. We proposed that a decrease in ventilation would be coupled to the initial decline in fMRI signal in brain areas relevant for modulating breathing in the awake state, and that the subsequent recovery would be coupled to fMRI signal in structures relevant for controlling breathing during the unconscious state. Results showed that a slight reduction in breathing from wakefulness to unconsciousness was distinctively associated with decreased activity in brain systems underlying different aspects of consciousness including the prefrontal cortex, the default mode network and somatosensory areas. Breathing recovery was distinctively coupled to activity in deep brain structures controlling basic behaviors such as the hypothalamus and amygdala. Activity in the brainstem, cerebellum and hippocampus was associated with breathing variations in both states. Therefore, our brain maps illustrate potential drives to breathe, unique to wakefulness, in the form of brain systems underlying cognitive awareness, self-awareness and sensory awareness, and to unconsciousness involving structures controlling instinctive and homeostatic behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesus Pujol
- MRI Research Unit, Department of Radiology, Hospital del Mar, Passeig Marítim 25-29, Barcelona 08003, Spain; Centro Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM G21, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Laura Blanco-Hinojo
- MRI Research Unit, Department of Radiology, Hospital del Mar, Passeig Marítim 25-29, Barcelona 08003, Spain; Centro Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM G21, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Héctor Ortiz
- Department of Project and Construction Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lluís Gallart
- Department of Anesthesiology, Hospital del Mar-IMIM, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Surgery, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Luís Moltó
- Department of Anesthesiology, Hospital del Mar-IMIM, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gerard Martínez-Vilavella
- MRI Research Unit, Department of Radiology, Hospital del Mar, Passeig Marítim 25-29, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Esther Vilà
- Department of Anesthesiology, Hospital del Mar-IMIM, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Susana Pacreu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Hospital del Mar-IMIM, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Irina Adalid
- Department of Anesthesiology, Hospital del Mar-IMIM, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joan Deus
- MRI Research Unit, Department of Radiology, Hospital del Mar, Passeig Marítim 25-29, Barcelona 08003, Spain; Department of Psychobiology and Methodology in Health Sciences, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Víctor Pérez-Sola
- Centro Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM G21, Barcelona, Spain; Hospital del Mar- IMIM and Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Neuropsychiatry and Addictions, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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72
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Aubinet C, Chatelle C, Gosseries O, Carrière M, Laureys S, Majerus S. Residual implicit and explicit language abilities in patients with disorders of consciousness: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 132:391-409. [PMID: 34864003 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 11/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Language assessment in post-comatose patients is difficult due to their limited behavioral repertoire; yet associated language deficits might lead to an underestimation of consciousness levels in unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) or minimally conscious state (MCS; -/+) diagnoses. We present a systematic review of studies from 2002 assessing residual language abilities with neuroimaging, electrophysiological or behavioral measures in patients with severe brain injury. Eighty-five articles including a total of 2278 patients were assessed for quality. The median percentages of patients showing residual implicit language abilities (i.e., cortical responses to specific words/sentences) were 33 % for UWS, 50 % for MCS- and 78 % for MCS + patients, whereas explicit language abilities (i.e., command-following using brain-computer interfaces) were reported in 20 % of UWS, 33 % of MCS- and 50 % of MCS + patients. Cortical responses to verbal stimuli increased along with consciousness levels and the progressive recovery of consciousness after a coma was paralleled by the reappearance of both implicit and explicit language processing. This review highlights the importance of language assessment in patients with disorders of consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlène Aubinet
- Coma Science Group, GIGA Consciousness, University of Liège, Belgium; Centre du Cerveau, University Hospital of Liège, Belgium.
| | - Camille Chatelle
- Coma Science Group, GIGA Consciousness, University of Liège, Belgium; Centre du Cerveau, University Hospital of Liège, Belgium
| | - Olivia Gosseries
- Coma Science Group, GIGA Consciousness, University of Liège, Belgium; Centre du Cerveau, University Hospital of Liège, Belgium; Fund for Scientific Research, FNRS, Belgium
| | - Manon Carrière
- Coma Science Group, GIGA Consciousness, University of Liège, Belgium; Centre du Cerveau, University Hospital of Liège, Belgium
| | - Steven Laureys
- Coma Science Group, GIGA Consciousness, University of Liège, Belgium; Centre du Cerveau, University Hospital of Liège, Belgium; Fund for Scientific Research, FNRS, Belgium
| | - Steve Majerus
- Fund for Scientific Research, FNRS, Belgium; Psychology and Neuroscience of Cognition Research Unit, University of Liège, Belgium.
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73
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Fontan A, Lindgren L, Pedale T, Brorsson C, Bergström F, Eriksson J. A reduced level of consciousness affects non-conscious processes. Neuroimage 2021; 244:118571. [PMID: 34509624 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Being conscious is a profound aspect of human existence, and understanding its function and its inception is considered one of the truly grand scientific challenges. However, the nature of consciousness remains enigmatic, to a large part because "being conscious" can refer to both the content (phenomenology) and the level (arousal) of consciousness, and how these different aspects are related remains unclear. To empirically assess the relation between level and content of consciousness, we manipulated these two aspects by presenting stimuli consciously or non-consciously and by using Propofol sedation, while brain activity was measured using fMRI. We observed that sedation affected both conscious and non-conscious processes but at different hierarchical levels; while conscious processing was altered in higher-order regions (the intraparietal sulcus) and spared sensory areas, the opposite effect was observed for non-conscious processing. The observation that Propofol affected non-conscious processing calls for a reconsideration of what kind of information one can gain on "consciousness" from recording neural responses to sedation without considering both (content) conscious and (content) non-conscious processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Fontan
- Department of Integrative medical biology, Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Sweden
| | - L Lindgren
- Department of Nursing, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - T Pedale
- Department of Integrative medical biology, Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Sweden
| | - C Brorsson
- Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Department of Surgery and Perioperative Sciences, Umeå University, Sweden
| | - F Bergström
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra, Portugal
| | - J Eriksson
- Department of Integrative medical biology, Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Sweden.
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74
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Winters JJ. The Temporally-Integrated Causality Landscape: Reconciling Neuroscientific Theories With the Phenomenology of Consciousness. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:768459. [PMID: 34803643 PMCID: PMC8599361 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.768459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, there has been a proliferation of neuroscientific theories of consciousness. These include theories which explicitly point to EM fields, notably Operational Architectonics and, more recently, the General Resonance Theory. In phenomenological terms, human consciousness is a unified composition of contents. These contents are specific and meaningful, and they exist from a subjective point of view. Human conscious experience is temporally continuous, limited in content, and coherent. Based upon those phenomenal observations, pre-existing theories of consciousness, and a large body of experimental evidence, I derived the Temporally-Integrated Causality Landscape (TICL). In brief, the TICL proposes that the neural correlate of consciousness is a structure of temporally integrated causality occurring over a large portion of the thalamocortical system. This structure is composed of a large, integrated set of neuronal elements (the System), which contains some subsystems, defined as having a higher level of temporally-integrated causality than the System as a whole. Each Subsystem exists from the point of view of the System, in the form of meaningful content. In this article, I review the TICL and consider the importance of EM forces as a mechanism of neural causality. I compare the fundamentals of TICL to those of several other neuroscientific theories. Using five major characteristics of phenomenal consciousness as a standard, I compare the basic tenets of Integrated Information Theory, Global Neuronal Workspace, General Resonance Theory, Operational Architectonics, and the Temporo-spatial Theory of Consciousness with the framework of the TICL. While the literature concerned with these theories tends to focus on different lines of evidence, there are fundamental areas of agreement. This means that, in time, it may be possible for many of them to converge upon the truth. In this analysis, I conclude that a primary distinction which divides these theories is the feature of spatial and temporal nesting. Interestingly, this distinction does not separate along the fault line between theories explicitly concerned with EM fields and those which are not. I believe that reconciliation is possible, at least in principle, among those theories that recognize the following: just as the contents of consciousness are distinctions within consciousness, the neural correlates of conscious content should be distinguishable from but fall within the spatial and temporal boundaries of the full neural correlates of consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse J Winters
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, United States
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75
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Schwartz R, Rozier C, Seidel Malkinson T, Lehongre K, Adam C, Lambrecq V, Navarro V, Naccache L, Axelrod V. Comparing stimulus-evoked and spontaneous response of the face-selective multi-units in the human posterior fusiform gyrus. Neurosci Conscious 2021; 2021:niab033. [PMID: 34667640 PMCID: PMC8520048 DOI: 10.1093/nc/niab033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The stimulus-evoked neural response is a widely explored phenomenon. Conscious awareness is associated in many cases with the corresponding selective stimulus-evoked response. For example, conscious awareness of a face stimulus is associated with or accompanied by stimulus-evoked activity in the fusiform face area (FFA). In addition to the stimulus-evoked response, spontaneous (i.e. task-unrelated) activity in the brain is also abundant. Notably, spontaneous activity is considered unconscious. For example, spontaneous activity in the FFA is not associated with conscious awareness of a face. The question is: what is the difference at the neural level between stimulus-evoked activity in a case that this activity is associated with conscious awareness of some content (e.g. activity in the FFA in response to fully visible face stimuli) and spontaneous activity in that same region of the brain? To answer this question, in the present study, we had a rare opportunity to record two face-selective multi-units in the vicinity of the FFA in a human patient. We compared multi-unit face-selective task-evoked activity with spontaneous prestimulus and a resting-state activity. We found that when activity was examined over relatively long temporal windows (e.g. 100–200 ms), face-selective stimulus-evoked firing in the recorded multi-units was much higher than the spontaneous activity. In contrast, when activity was examined over relatively short windows, we found many cases of high firing rates within the spontaneous activity that were comparable to stimulus-evoked activity. Our results thus indicate that the sustained activity is what might differentiate between stimulus-evoked activity that is associated with conscious awareness and spontaneous activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rina Schwartz
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan 52900, Israel
| | - Camille Rozier
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale Unité 1127, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 7225, Université Pierre-et-Marie-Curie Univ Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière ICM, Paris 75013, France
| | - Tal Seidel Malkinson
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale Unité 1127, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 7225, Université Pierre-et-Marie-Curie Univ Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière ICM, Paris 75013, France
| | - Katia Lehongre
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale Unité 1127, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 7225, Université Pierre-et-Marie-Curie Univ Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière ICM, Paris 75013, France
| | - Claude Adam
- Neurology Department, AP-HP, GH Pitie-Salpêtrière-Charles Foix, Epilepsy Unit, 47-83 boulevard de l'Hôpital, Paris 75013, France
| | - Virginie Lambrecq
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale Unité 1127, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 7225, Université Pierre-et-Marie-Curie Univ Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière ICM, Paris 75013, France
| | - Vincent Navarro
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale Unité 1127, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 7225, Université Pierre-et-Marie-Curie Univ Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière ICM, Paris 75013, France
| | - Lionel Naccache
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale Unité 1127, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 7225, Université Pierre-et-Marie-Curie Univ Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière ICM, Paris 75013, France
| | - Vadim Axelrod
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan 52900, Israel
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76
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Sklar AY, Kardosh R, Hassin RR. From non-conscious processing to conscious events: a minimalist approach. Neurosci Conscious 2021; 2021:niab026. [PMID: 34676105 PMCID: PMC8524171 DOI: 10.1093/nc/niab026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The minimalist approach that we develop here is a framework that allows to appreciate how non-conscious processing and conscious contents shape human cognition, broadly defined. It is composed of three simple principles. First, cognitive processes are inherently non-conscious, while their inputs and (interim) outputs may be consciously experienced. Second, non-conscious processes and elements of the cognitive architecture prioritize information for conscious experiences. Third, conscious events are composed of series of conscious contents and non-conscious processes, with increased duration leading to more opportunity for processing. The narrowness of conscious experiences is conceptualized here as a solution to the problem of channeling the plethora of non-conscious processes into action and communication processes that are largely serial. The framework highlights the importance of prioritization for consciousness, and we provide an illustrative review of three main factors that shape prioritization-stimulus strength, motivational relevance and mental accessibility. We further discuss when and how this framework (i) is compatible with previous theories, (ii) enables new understandings of established findings and models, and (iii) generates new predictions and understandings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asael Y Sklar
- Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University Edmond J. Safra Campus, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Rasha Kardosh
- Psychology Department, The Hebrew University Mount Scopus, Jerusalem 91905, Israel
| | - Ran R Hassin
- James Marshall Chair of Psychology, Psychology Department & The Federmann Center for the Study of Rationality, The Hebrew University Mount Scopus, Jerusalem 91905, Israel
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77
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Signorelli CM, Szczotka J, Prentner R. Explanatory profiles of models of consciousness - towards a systematic classification. Neurosci Conscious 2021; 2021:niab021. [PMID: 34457353 PMCID: PMC8396118 DOI: 10.1093/nc/niab021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Models of consciousness aim to inspire new experimental protocols and aid interpretation of empirical evidence to reveal the structure of conscious experience. Nevertheless, no current model is univocally accepted on either theoretical or empirical grounds. Moreover, a straightforward comparison is difficult for conceptual reasons. In particular, we argue that different models explicitly or implicitly subscribe to different notions of what constitutes a satisfactory explanation, use different tools in their explanatory endeavours and even aim to explain very different phenomena. We thus present a framework to compare existing models in the field with respect to what we call their 'explanatory profiles'. We focus on the following minimal dimensions: mode of explanation, mechanisms of explanation and target of explanation. We also discuss the empirical consequences of the discussed discrepancies among models. This approach may eventually lead to identifying driving assumptions, theoretical commitments, experimental predictions and a better design of future testing experiments. Finally, our conclusion points to more integrative theoretical research, where axiomatic models may play a critical role in solving current theoretical and experimental contradictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilo Miguel Signorelli
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, INSERM U992, NeuroSpin, CEA, Gif sur Yvette F-91191, France
- Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford, 15 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QD, UK
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Edifici Merce Rodereda, Carrer de Ramon Trias Fargas, 25, Barcelona 08018, Spain
| | - Joanna Szczotka
- Center for Sleep and Consciousness, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 6001 Research Park Blvd, Madison WI 53719, USA
- Consciousness Lab, Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, 6 Ingardena, Kraków 30-060, Poland
| | - Robert Prentner
- Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of California, 3151 Social Science Plaza, Irvine CA 92697-5100, USA
- Center for the Future Mind, Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road - SO 283, Boca Raton FL 33431-0991, USA
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78
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Abstract
The self-face advantage has been demonstrated not only at the supraliminal level, but also at the subliminal level. However, it remains unclear whether subliminal self-face processing involves the same neural networks as those for supraliminal self-face processing. Here, we show that the ventral tegmental area, a center of the dopamine reward pathway, exhibited greater activation to subliminal presentations of the self-face than those of the others’ faces, whereas subliminal presentations of the others’ faces induced activation in the amygdala, which generally responds to unfamiliar information. This self-other difference in brain response was consistently observed even when the facial configuration was modified without changing the shape of the facial parts. The present findings suggest that the dopamine reward pathway is involved in automatic self-advantage in face processing, and the subliminal self-other facial discrimination does not depend on information of the precise facial configuration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chisa Ota
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Tamami Nakano
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.,Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.,Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
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79
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Del Pin SH, Skóra Z, Sandberg K, Overgaard M, Wierzchoń M. Comparing theories of consciousness: why it matters and how to do it. Neurosci Conscious 2021; 2021:niab019. [PMID: 34422317 PMCID: PMC8372971 DOI: 10.1093/nc/niab019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 06/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The theoretical landscape of scientific studies of consciousness has flourished. Today, even multiple versions of the same theory are sometimes available. To advance the field, these theories should be directly compared to determine which are better at predicting and explaining empirical data. Systematic inquiries of this sort are seen in many subfields in cognitive psychology and neuroscience, e.g. in working memory. Nonetheless, when we surveyed publications on consciousness research, we found that most focused on a single theory. When 'comparisons' happened, they were often verbal and non-systematic. This fact in itself could be a contributing reason for the lack of convergence between theories in consciousness research. In this paper, we focus on how to compare theories of consciousness to ensure that the comparisons are meaningful, e.g. whether their predictions are parallel or contrasting. We evaluate how theories are typically compared in consciousness research and related subdisciplines in cognitive psychology and neuroscience, and we provide an example of our approach. We then examine the different reasons why direct comparisons between theories are rarely seen. One possible explanation is the unique nature of the consciousness phenomenon. We conclude that the field should embrace this uniqueness, and we set out the features that a theory of consciousness should account for.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Hviid Del Pin
- Consciousness Lab, Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Ingardena 6, Krakow 30-060, Poland
| | - Zuzanna Skóra
- Consciousness Lab, Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Ingardena 6, Krakow 30-060, Poland
| | - Kristian Sandberg
- Center for Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus Universitet, Universitetsbyen 3, Building 1710, Aarhus C 8000, Denmark
| | - Morten Overgaard
- Center for Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus Universitet, Universitetsbyen 3, Building 1710, Aarhus C 8000, Denmark
| | - Michał Wierzchoń
- Consciousness Lab, Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Ingardena 6, Krakow 30-060, Poland
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80
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Golesorkhi M, Gomez-Pilar J, Zilio F, Berberian N, Wolff A, Yagoub MCE, Northoff G. The brain and its time: intrinsic neural timescales are key for input processing. Commun Biol 2021; 4:970. [PMID: 34400800 PMCID: PMC8368044 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02483-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
We process and integrate multiple timescales into one meaningful whole. Recent evidence suggests that the brain displays a complex multiscale temporal organization. Different regions exhibit different timescales as described by the concept of intrinsic neural timescales (INT); however, their function and neural mechanisms remains unclear. We review recent literature on INT and propose that they are key for input processing. Specifically, they are shared across different species, i.e., input sharing. This suggests a role of INT in encoding inputs through matching the inputs' stochastics with the ongoing temporal statistics of the brain's neural activity, i.e., input encoding. Following simulation and empirical data, we point out input integration versus segregation and input sampling as key temporal mechanisms of input processing. This deeply grounds the brain within its environmental and evolutionary context. It carries major implications in understanding mental features and psychiatric disorders, as well as going beyond the brain in integrating timescales into artificial intelligence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehrshad Golesorkhi
- grid.28046.380000 0001 2182 2255School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada ,grid.28046.380000 0001 2182 2255Mind, Brain Imaging and Neuroethics Research Unit, Institute of Mental Health, Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre and University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Javier Gomez-Pilar
- grid.5239.d0000 0001 2286 5329Biomedical Engineering Group, University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain ,grid.413448.e0000 0000 9314 1427Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina, (CIBER-BBN), Madrid, Spain
| | - Federico Zilio
- grid.5608.b0000 0004 1757 3470Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Nareg Berberian
- grid.28046.380000 0001 2182 2255Mind, Brain Imaging and Neuroethics Research Unit, Institute of Mental Health, Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre and University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Annemarie Wolff
- grid.28046.380000 0001 2182 2255Mind, Brain Imaging and Neuroethics Research Unit, Institute of Mental Health, Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre and University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Mustapha C. E. Yagoub
- grid.28046.380000 0001 2182 2255School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Georg Northoff
- grid.28046.380000 0001 2182 2255Mind, Brain Imaging and Neuroethics Research Unit, Institute of Mental Health, Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre and University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada ,grid.410595.c0000 0001 2230 9154Centre for Cognition and Brain Disorders, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China ,grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XMental Health Centre, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang China
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81
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Lian F, Northoff G. The Lost Neural Hierarchy of the Autistic Self-Locked-Out of the Mental Self and Its Default-Mode Network. Brain Sci 2021; 11:574. [PMID: 33946964 PMCID: PMC8145974 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11050574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by a fundamental change in self-awareness including seemingly paradoxical features like increased ego-centeredness and weakened self-referentiality. What is the neural basis of this so-called "self-paradox"? Conducting a meta-analytic review of fMRI rest and task studies, we show that ASD exhibits consistent hypofunction in anterior and posterior midline regions of the default-mode network (DMN) in both rest and task with decreased self-non-self differentiation. Relying on a multilayered nested hierarchical model of self, as recently established (Qin et al. 2020), we propose that ASD subjects cannot access the most upper layer of their self, the DMN-based mental self-they are locked-out of their own DMN and its mental self. This, in turn, results in strong weakening of their self-referentiality with decreases in both self-awareness and self-other distinction. Moreover, this blocks the extension of non-DMN cortical and subcortical regions at the lower layers of the physical self to the DMN-based upper layer of the mental self, including self-other distinction. The ASD subjects remain stuck and restricted to their intero- and exteroceptive selves as manifested in a relative increase in ego-centeredness (as compared to self-referentiality). This amounts to what we describe as "Hierarchical Model of Autistic Self" (HAS), which, characterizing the autistic self in hierarchical and spatiotemporal terms, aligns well with and extends current theories of ASD including predictive coding and weak central coherence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuxin Lian
- Institute of Psychological Sciences, School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China;
- Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1Z 7K4, Canada
| | - Georg Northoff
- Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1Z 7K4, Canada
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82
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Sattin D, Magnani FG, Bartesaghi L, Caputo M, Fittipaldo AV, Cacciatore M, Picozzi M, Leonardi M. Theoretical Models of Consciousness: A Scoping Review. Brain Sci 2021; 11:535. [PMID: 33923218 PMCID: PMC8146510 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11050535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The amount of knowledge on human consciousness has created a multitude of viewpoints and it is difficult to compare and synthesize all the recent scientific perspectives. Indeed, there are many definitions of consciousness and multiple approaches to study the neural correlates of consciousness (NCC). Therefore, the main aim of this article is to collect data on the various theories of consciousness published between 2007-2017 and to synthesize them to provide a general overview of this topic. To describe each theory, we developed a thematic grid called the dimensional model, which qualitatively and quantitatively analyzes how each article, related to one specific theory, debates/analyzes a specific issue. Among the 1130 articles assessed, 85 full texts were included in the prefinal step. Finally, this scoping review analyzed 68 articles that described 29 theories of consciousness. We found heterogeneous perspectives in the theories analyzed. Those with the highest grade of variability are as follows: subjectivity, NCC, and the consciousness/cognitive function. Among sub-cortical structures, thalamus, basal ganglia, and the hippocampus were the most indicated, whereas the cingulate, prefrontal, and temporal areas were the most reported for cortical ones also including the thalamo-cortical system. Moreover, we found several definitions of consciousness and 21 new sub-classifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Sattin
- Neurology, Public Health, Disability Unit—Scientific Department, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy; (F.G.M.); (L.B.); (M.C.); (M.C.); (M.L.)
- Experimental Medicine and Medical Humanities-PhD Program, Biotechnology and Life Sciences Department and Center for Clinical Ethics, Insubria University, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Francesca Giulia Magnani
- Neurology, Public Health, Disability Unit—Scientific Department, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy; (F.G.M.); (L.B.); (M.C.); (M.C.); (M.L.)
| | - Laura Bartesaghi
- Neurology, Public Health, Disability Unit—Scientific Department, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy; (F.G.M.); (L.B.); (M.C.); (M.C.); (M.L.)
| | - Milena Caputo
- Neurology, Public Health, Disability Unit—Scientific Department, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy; (F.G.M.); (L.B.); (M.C.); (M.C.); (M.L.)
| | | | - Martina Cacciatore
- Neurology, Public Health, Disability Unit—Scientific Department, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy; (F.G.M.); (L.B.); (M.C.); (M.C.); (M.L.)
| | - Mario Picozzi
- Center for Clinical Ethics, Biotechnology and Life Sciences Department, Insubria University, 21100 Varese, Italy;
| | - Matilde Leonardi
- Neurology, Public Health, Disability Unit—Scientific Department, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy; (F.G.M.); (L.B.); (M.C.); (M.C.); (M.L.)
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83
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Kent L, Wittmann M. Special Issue: Consciousness science and its theories Time consciousness: the missing link in theories of consciousness. Neurosci Conscious 2021; 2021:niab011. [PMID: 33868714 PMCID: PMC8042366 DOI: 10.1093/nc/niab011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
There are plenty of issues to be solved in order for researchers to agree on a neural model of consciousness. Here we emphasize an often under-represented aspect in the debate: time consciousness. Consciousness and the present moment both extend in time. Experience flows through a succession of moments and progresses from future predictions, to present experiences, to past memories. However, a brief review finds that many dominant theories of consciousness only refer to brief, static, and discrete "functional moments" of time. Very few refer to more extended, dynamic, and continuous time, which is associated with conscious experience (cf. the "experienced moment"). This confusion between short and discrete versus long and continuous is, we argue, one of the core issues in theories of consciousness. Given the lack of work dedicated to time consciousness, its study could test novel predictions of rival theories of consciousness. It may be that different theories of consciousness are compatible/complementary if the different aspects of time are taken into account. Or, if it turns out that no existing theory can fully accommodate time consciousness, then perhaps it has something new to add. Regardless of outcome, the crucial step is to make subjective time a central object of study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lachlan Kent
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, 35 Poplar Rd, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- Orygen, 35 Poplar Rd, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Marc Wittmann
- Institute for Frontier Areas of Psychology and Mental Health, Wilhelmstraße 3a, 79098 Freiburg i.Br., Germany
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84
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Golesorkhi M, Gomez-Pilar J, Tumati S, Fraser M, Northoff G. Temporal hierarchy of intrinsic neural timescales converges with spatial core-periphery organization. Commun Biol 2021; 4:277. [PMID: 33664456 PMCID: PMC7933253 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-01785-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The human cortex exhibits intrinsic neural timescales that shape a temporal hierarchy. Whether this temporal hierarchy follows the spatial hierarchy of its topography, namely the core-periphery organization, remains an open issue. Using magnetoencephalography data, we investigate intrinsic neural timescales during rest and task states; we measure the autocorrelation window in short (ACW-50) and, introducing a novel variant, long (ACW-0) windows. We demonstrate longer ACW-50 and ACW-0 in networks located at the core compared to those at the periphery with rest and task states showing a high ACW correlation. Calculating rest-task differences, i.e., subtracting the shared core-periphery organization, reveals task-specific ACW changes in distinct networks. Finally, employing kernel density estimation, machine learning, and simulation, we demonstrate that ACW-0 exhibits better prediction in classifying a region's time window as core or periphery. Overall, our findings provide fundamental insight into how the human cortex's temporal hierarchy converges with its spatial core-periphery hierarchy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehrshad Golesorkhi
- School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
- Mind, Brain Imaging and Neuroethics Research Unit, Institute of Mental Health Research, Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre and University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Javier Gomez-Pilar
- Biomedical Engineering Group, University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Madrid, Spain
| | - Shankar Tumati
- Mind, Brain Imaging and Neuroethics Research Unit, Institute of Mental Health Research, Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre and University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
- Neuropsychopharmacology research group, Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Maia Fraser
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Georg Northoff
- Mind, Brain Imaging and Neuroethics Research Unit, Institute of Mental Health Research, Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre and University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
- Centre for Cognition and Brain Disorders, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.
- Mental Health Centre, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
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85
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Sattin D, Rossi Sebastiano D, Magnani FG, D'Incerti L, Marotta G, Benti R, Tirelli S, Bersano A, Duran D, Visani E, Ferraro S, Minati L, Nigri A, Rosazza C, Bianchi Marzoli S, Ciasca P, Carcagni A, Bruzzone MG, Franceschetti S, Leonardi M, Guido D. Visual fixation in disorders of consciousness: Development of predictive models to support differential diagnosis. Physiol Behav 2021; 230:113310. [PMID: 33412191 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The visual fixation represents a doubtful behavioral sign to discriminate Vegetative from Minimally Conscious State (MCS). To disentangle its meaning, we fitted univariate and multivariable logistic regression models matching different neurophysiological and neuroimaging data of 54 patients with Disorders of Consciousness to select the best model predicting which visual performance (visual blink or pursuit) was shown by patients and the best predictors set. The best models found highlighted the importance of the structural MRI and the visual evoked potentials data in predicting visual pursuit. Then, a qualitative pilot test was made on four patients showing visual fixation revealing that the obtained models correctly predict whether the patients' visual performance could support/correlate to a cognitively mediated behavior. The present pilot models could help clinicians to evaluate if the visual fixation response can support the MCS diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Sattin
- Neurology, Public Health, Disability Unit - Coma Research Centre; Scientific Directorate, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, Milan, 20133, Italy.
| | - Davide Rossi Sebastiano
- Neurophysiology and Diagnostic Epileptology Unit - Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta n, Via Celoria 11, Milan, 20133, Italy.
| | - Francesca Giulia Magnani
- Neurology, Public Health, Disability Unit - Coma Research Centre; Scientific Directorate, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, Milan, 20133, Italy.
| | - Ludovico D'Incerti
- Neuroradiology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, Milan, 20133, Italy.
| | - Giorgio Marotta
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via Francesco Sforza 35, Milan, 20122, Italy; Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici (DISTUM), Università degli Studi di Urbino Carlo Bo, Via Bramante, 17, 61029 Urbino PU.
| | - Riccardo Benti
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via Francesco Sforza 35, Milan, 20122, Italy.
| | - Simone Tirelli
- Neurology, Public Health, Disability Unit - Coma Research Centre; Scientific Directorate, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, Milan, 20133, Italy
| | - Anna Bersano
- Neurology Unit, UCV, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, Milan, 20133, Italy.
| | - Dunja Duran
- Neurophysiology and Diagnostic Epileptology Unit - Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta n, Via Celoria 11, Milan, 20133, Italy.
| | - Elisa Visani
- Neurophysiology and Diagnostic Epileptology Unit - Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta n, Via Celoria 11, Milan, 20133, Italy.
| | - Stefania Ferraro
- Neuroradiology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, Milan, 20133, Italy.
| | - Ludovico Minati
- Direzione Scientifica, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, Milan, 20133, Italy.
| | - Anna Nigri
- Neuroradiology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, Milan, 20133, Italy.
| | - Cristina Rosazza
- Neuroradiology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, Milan, 20133, Italy; Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici (DISTUM), Università degli Studi di Urbino Carlo Bo, Via Bramante, 17, 61029 Urbino PU.
| | - Stefania Bianchi Marzoli
- Neuro-Ophthalmology Center, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Scientific Institute Capitanio Hospital, via Mercalli, 28, Milan 20122, Italy.
| | - Paola Ciasca
- Neuro-Ophthalmology Center, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Scientific Institute Capitanio Hospital, via Mercalli, 28, Milan 20122, Italy.
| | - Antonella Carcagni
- Data Methods and Systems Statistical Laboratory, Department of Economics and Management, University of Brescia, Contrada Santa Chiara, 50, Brescia, 25122, Italy.
| | - Maria Grazia Bruzzone
- Neuroradiology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, Milan, 20133, Italy.
| | - Silvana Franceschetti
- Neurophysiology and Diagnostic Epileptology Unit - Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta n, Via Celoria 11, Milan, 20133, Italy.
| | - Matilde Leonardi
- Neurology, Public Health, Disability Unit - Coma Research Centre; Scientific Directorate, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, Milan, 20133, Italy.
| | - Davide Guido
- Neurology, Public Health, Disability Unit - Coma Research Centre; Scientific Directorate, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, Milan, 20133, Italy.
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Higher-order sensorimotor circuit of the brain's global network supports human consciousness. Neuroimage 2021; 231:117850. [PMID: 33582277 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.117850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Consciousness is a mental characteristic of the human mind, whose exact neural features remain unclear. We aimed to identify the critical nodes within the brain's global functional network that support consciousness. To that end, we collected a large fMRI resting state dataset with subjects in at least one of the following three consciousness states: preserved (including the healthy awake state, and patients with a brain injury history (BI) that is fully conscious), reduced (including the N1-sleep state, and minimally conscious state), and lost (including the N3-sleep state, anesthesia, and unresponsive wakefulness state). We also included a unique dataset of subjects in rapid eye movement sleep state (REM-sleep) to test for the presence of consciousness with minimum movements and sensory input. To identify critical nodes, i.e., hubs, within the brain's global functional network, we used a graph-theoretical measure of degree centrality conjoined with ROI-based functional connectivity. Using these methods, we identified various higher-order sensory and motor regions including the supplementary motor area, bilateral supramarginal gyrus (part of inferior parietal lobule), supragenual/dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, and left middle temporal gyrus, that could be important hubs whose degree centrality was significantly reduced when consciousness was reduced or absent. Additionally, we identified a sensorimotor circuit, in which the functional connectivity among these regions was significantly correlated with levels of consciousness across the different groups, and remained present in the REM-sleep group. Taken together, we demonstrated that regions forming a higher-order sensorimotor integration circuit are involved in supporting consciousness within the brain's global functional network. That offers novel and more mechanism-guided treatment targets for disorders of consciousness.
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Signorelli CM, Uhrig L, Kringelbach M, Jarraya B, Deco G. Hierarchical disruption in the cortex of anesthetized monkeys as a new signature of consciousness loss. Neuroimage 2020; 227:117618. [PMID: 33307225 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 11/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Anesthesia induces a reconfiguration of the repertoire of functional brain states leading to a high function-structure similarity. However, it is unclear how these functional changes lead to loss of consciousness. Here we suggest that the mechanism of conscious access is related to a general dynamical rearrangement of the intrinsic hierarchical organization of the cortex. To measure cortical hierarchy, we applied the Intrinsic Ignition analysis to resting-state fMRI data acquired in awake and anesthetized macaques. Our results reveal the existence of spatial and temporal hierarchical differences of neural activity within the macaque cortex, with a strong modulation by the depth of anesthesia and the employed anesthetic agent. Higher values of Intrinsic Ignition correspond to rich and flexible brain dynamics whereas lower values correspond to poor and rigid, structurally driven brain dynamics. Moreover, spatial and temporal hierarchical dimensions are disrupted in a different manner, involving different hierarchical brain networks. All together suggest that disruption of brain hierarchy is a new signature of consciousness loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilo Miguel Signorelli
- Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford, UK; Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U992, France; Center for Brain and Cognition, Computational Neuroscience Group, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain.
| | - Lynn Uhrig
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U992, France; Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives, Direction de la Recherche Fondamentale, NeuroSpin Center, France; Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Necker Hospital, University Paris Descartes, France; Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Sainte-Anne Hospital, University Paris Descartes, France
| | - Morten Kringelbach
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University & The Royal Academy of Music Aarhus/Aalborg, Denmark; Centre for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing, University of Oxford, UK; Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Bechir Jarraya
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U992, France; Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives, Direction de la Recherche Fondamentale, NeuroSpin Center, France; Neurosurgery Department, Foch Hospital, Suresnes, France; University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Université Paris-Saclay, France.
| | - Gustavo Deco
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Computational Neuroscience Group, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain; Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain; Institució Catalana de la Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Spain; Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Germany; Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
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88
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Zilio F, Gomez-Pilar J, Cao S, Zhang J, Zang D, Qi Z, Tan J, Hiromi T, Wu X, Fogel S, Huang Z, Hohmann MR, Fomina T, Synofzik M, Grosse-Wentrup M, Owen AM, Northoff G. Are intrinsic neural timescales related to sensory processing? Evidence from abnormal behavioral states. Neuroimage 2020; 226:117579. [PMID: 33221441 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The brain exhibits a complex temporal structure which translates into a hierarchy of distinct neural timescales. An open question is how these intrinsic timescales are related to sensory or motor information processing and whether these dynamics have common patterns in different behavioral states. We address these questions by investigating the brain's intrinsic timescales in healthy controls, motor (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, locked-in syndrome), sensory (anesthesia, unresponsive wakefulness syndrome), and progressive reduction of sensory processing (from awake states over N1, N2, N3). We employed a combination of measures from EEG resting-state data: auto-correlation window (ACW), power spectral density (PSD), and power-law exponent (PLE). Prolonged neural timescales accompanied by a shift towards slower frequencies were observed in the conditions with sensory deficits, but not in conditions with motor deficits. Our results establish that the spontaneous activity's intrinsic neural timescale is related to the neural capacity that specifically supports sensory rather than motor information processing in the healthy brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Zilio
- Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology, University of Padova, Padua, Italy.
| | - Javier Gomez-Pilar
- Biomedical Engineering Group, University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Valladolid, Spain
| | - Shumei Cao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Di Zang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zengxin Qi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiaxing Tan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tanigawa Hiromi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xuehai Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Stuart Fogel
- The Brain and Mind Institute, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology and the Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, Canada
| | - Zirui Huang
- Center for Consciousness Science, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Matthias R Hohmann
- Department for Empirical Inference, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Tatiana Fomina
- Department for Empirical Inference, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Matthis Synofzik
- Department of Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Moritz Grosse-Wentrup
- Research Group Neuroinformatics, Faculty of Computer Science, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Adrian M Owen
- The Brain and Mind Institute, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology and the Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, Canada
| | - Georg Northoff
- Institute of Mental Health Research, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
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