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Forti B. The hidden structure of consciousness. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1344033. [PMID: 38650907 PMCID: PMC11033517 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1344033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
According to Loorits, if we want consciousness to be explained in terms of natural sciences, we should be able to analyze its seemingly non-structural aspects, like qualia, in structural terms. However, the studies conducted over the last three decades do not seem to be able to bridge the explanatory gap between physical phenomena and phenomenal experience. One possible way to bridge the explanatory gap is to seek the structure of consciousness within consciousness itself, through a phenomenal analysis of the qualitative aspects of experience. First, this analysis leads us to identify the explanandum concerning the simplest forms of experience not in qualia but in the unitary set of qualities found in early vision. Second, it leads us to hypothesize that consciousness is also made up of non-apparent parts, and that there exists a hidden structure of consciousness. This structure, corresponding to a simple early visual experience, is constituted by a Hierarchy of Spatial Belongings nested within each other. Each individual Spatial Belonging is formed by a primary content and a primary space. The primary content can be traced in the perceptibility of the contents we can distinguish in the phenomenal field. The primary space is responsible for the perceptibility of the content and is not perceptible in itself. However, the phenomenon I refer to as subtraction of visibility allows us to characterize it as phenomenally negative. The hierarchical relationships between Spatial Belongings can ensure the qualitative nature of components of perceptual organization, such as object, background, and detail. The hidden structure of consciousness presents aspects that are decidedly counterintuitive compared to our idea of phenomenal experience. However, on the one hand, the Hierarchy of Spatial Belongings can explain the qualities of early vision and their appearance as a unitary whole, while on the other hand, it might be more easily explicable in terms of brain organization. In other words, the hidden structure of consciousness can be considered a bridge structure which, placing itself at an intermediate level between experience and physical properties, can contribute to bridging the explanatory gap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Forti
- Department of Mental Health, Azienda ULSS 1 Dolomiti, Belluno, Italy
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2
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Davidson MJ, Verstraten FAJ, Alais D. Walking modulates visual detection performance according to stride cycle phase. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2027. [PMID: 38453900 PMCID: PMC10920920 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45780-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Walking is among our most frequent and natural of voluntary behaviours, yet the consequences of locomotion upon perceptual and cognitive function remain largely unknown. Recent work has highlighted that although walking feels smooth and continuous, critical phases exist within each step for the successful coordination of perceptual and motor function. Here, we test whether these phasic demands impact upon visual perception, by assessing performance in a visual detection task during natural unencumbered walking. We finely sample visual performance over the stride cycle as participants walk along a smooth linear path at a comfortable speed in a wireless virtual reality environment. At the group-level, accuracy, reaction times, and response likelihood show strong oscillations, modulating at approximately 2 cycles per stride (~2 Hz) with a marked phase of optimal performance aligned with the swing phase of each step. At the participant level, Bayesian inference of population prevalence reveals highly prevalent oscillations in visual detection performance that cluster in two idiosyncratic frequency ranges (2 or 4 cycles per stride), with a strong phase alignment across participants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - David Alais
- School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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3
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Fan X, Kolodny T, Woodard KM, Tasevac A, Ganz WR, Rea HM, Kurtz-Nelson EC, Webb SJ, Murray SO. Rhythmic attentional sampling in autism. Autism Res 2023; 16:2090-2099. [PMID: 37676241 PMCID: PMC10840939 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Individuals diagnosed with autism often display alterations in visual spatial attention toward visual stimuli, but the underlying cause of these differences remains unclear. Recent evidence has demonstrated that covert spatial attention, rather than remaining constant at a cued location, samples stimuli rhythmically at a frequency of 4-8 Hz (theta). Here we tested whether rhythmic sampling of attention is altered in autism. Participants were asked to monitor three locations to detect a brief target presented 300-1200 ms after a spatial cue. Visual attention was oriented to the cue and modified visual processing at the cued location, consistent with previous studies. We measured detection performance at different cue-target intervals when the target occurred at the cued location. Significant oscillations in detection performance were identified using both a traditional time-shuffled approach and a new autoregressive surrogate method developed by Brookshire in 2022. We found that attention enhances behavioral performance rhythmically at the same frequency in both autism and control group at the cued location. However, rhythmic temporal structure was not observed in a subgroup of autistic individuals with co-occurring attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Our results imply that intrinsic brain rhythms which organize neural activity into alternating attentional states is functional in autistic individuals, but may be altered in autistic participants who have a concurrent ADHD diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxu Fan
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Tamar Kolodny
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Kristin M Woodard
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Aydin Tasevac
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Wesley R Ganz
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Hannah M Rea
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | - Sara Jane Webb
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Scott O Murray
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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4
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Quettier T, Di Lello N, Tsuchiya N, Sessa P. INs and OUTs of faces in consciousness: a study of the temporal evolution of consciousness of faces during binocular rivalry. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1145653. [PMID: 37284480 PMCID: PMC10241245 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1145653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Contents of consciousness change over time. However, the study of dynamics in consciousness has been largely neglected. Aru and Bachmann have recently brought to the attention of scientists dealing with consciousness the relevance of making inquiries about its temporal evolution. Importantly, they also pointed out several experimental questions as guidelines for researchers interested in studying the temporal evolution of consciousness, including the phases of formation and dissolution of content. They also suggested that these two phases could be characterized by asymmetric inertia. The main objective of the present investigation was to approximate the dynamics of these two phases in the context of conscious face perception. To this aim, we tested the time course of content transitions during a binocular rivalry task using face stimuli and asked participants to map their subjective experience of transitions from one content to the other through a joystick. We then computed metrics of joystick velocity linked to content transitions as proxies of the formation and dissolution phases. We found a general phase effect such that the formation phase was slower than the dissolution phase. Furthermore, we observed an effect specific to happy facial expressions, such that their contents were slower to form and dissolve than that of neutral expressions. We further propose to include a third phase of stabilization of conscious content between formation and dissolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Quettier
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Nicolò Di Lello
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Naotsugu Tsuchiya
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health & School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Osaka, Japan
- Advanced Telecommunications Research Computational Neuroscience Laboratories, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Paola Sessa
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padova, Padua, Italy
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5
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Spagna A, Bayle DJ, Romeo Z, Seidel-Malkinson T, Liu J, Yahia-Cherif L, Chica AB, Bartolomeo P. The cost of attentional reorienting on conscious visual perception: an MEG study. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:2048-2060. [PMID: 35609335 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
How do attentional networks influence conscious perception? To answer this question, we used magnetoencephalography in human participants and assessed the effects of spatially nonpredictive or predictive supra-threshold peripheral cues on the conscious perception of near-threshold Gabors. Three main results emerged. (i) As compared with invalid cues, both nonpredictive and predictive valid cues increased conscious detection. Yet, only predictive cues shifted the response criterion toward a more liberal decision (i.e. willingness to report the presence of a target under conditions of greater perceptual uncertainty) and affected target contrast leading to 50% detections. (ii) Conscious perception following valid predictive cues was associated to enhanced activity in frontoparietal networks. These responses were lateralized to the left hemisphere during attentional orienting and to the right hemisphere during target processing. The involvement of frontoparietal networks occurred earlier in valid than in invalid trials, a possible neural marker of the cost of re-orienting attention. (iii) When detected targets were preceded by invalid predictive cues, and thus reorienting to the target was required, neural responses occurred in left hemisphere temporo-occipital regions during attentional orienting, and in right hemisphere anterior insular and temporo-occipital regions during target processing. These results confirm and specify the role of frontoparietal networks in modulating conscious processing and detail how invalid orienting of spatial attention disrupts conscious processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfredo Spagna
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University in the City of New York, New York, NY 10027, USA.,Sorbonne Université, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Paris Brain Institute, ICM, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Dimitri J Bayle
- Licae Lab, Université Paris Nanterre, 92001 Nanterre, France
| | - Zaira Romeo
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Tal Seidel-Malkinson
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Paris Brain Institute, ICM, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Jianghao Liu
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Paris Brain Institute, ICM, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Lydia Yahia-Cherif
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Paris Brain Institute, ICM, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Ana B Chica
- Department of Experimental Psychology; Mind, Brain, and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
| | - Paolo Bartolomeo
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Paris Brain Institute, ICM, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, 75013 Paris, France
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6
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Kurita Y, Urakawa T, Araki O. Theta phase coherence in visual mismatch responses involved in access processing to visual awareness. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1051844. [PMID: 36908709 PMCID: PMC9995375 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1051844] [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: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The electroencephalographic brain response to a deviation from the preceding sequential regularity of visual events, called visual mismatch negativity (vMMN), is well known to reflect automatic visual change detection. Our preliminary study showed a significant correlation between the enhancement of the vMMN amplitude and facilitation of perceptual alternation in binocular rivalry when the deviant stimulus was presented unconsciously. This implies that the vMMN is relevant to access processing, in which the unconscious stimulus is consciously perceived. Recent studies have reported that theta band oscillation evoked by a deviant stimulus is involved in evoking vMMN. However, it has not been clarified whether theta band oscillation associated with vMMN is also relevant to access processing. Methods: We analyzed the correlations between event-related spectral perturbation (ERSP) and inter-trial phase coherence (ITPC) in the theta band and the proportion of perceptual alternation from before to after the presentation of deviation in the same experimental paradigm as in our previous study. Results: We found that an increase in ITPC in the theta band tended to correlate with facilitation of perceptual alternation in binocular rivalry when the deviant was presented unconsciously, but there was no significant correlation in ERSP. Discussion: The results suggest that theta phase coherence underlying the visual mismatch process is relevant to the access processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Kurita
- Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science, Tokyo University of Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomokazu Urakawa
- Integrated Control System Development Division, Mazda Motor Corporation, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Osamu Araki
- Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science, Tokyo University of Science, Tokyo, Japan
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Fiebelkorn IC. There Is More Evidence of Rhythmic Attention than Can Be Found in Behavioral Studies: Perspective on Brookshire, 2022. J Cogn Neurosci 2022; 35:128-134. [PMID: 36306250 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Recent research indicates periodicity in attention-related sampling and switching, with some of the initial findings coming from behavioral studies. Brookshire [Brookshire, G. Putative rhythms in attentional switching can be explained by aperiodic temporal structure. Nature Human Behaviour, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01364-0], points out that widely used approaches to testing for rhythms in behavioral times series can misclassify consistent aperiodic patterns in temporal structure as periodic patterns. Evidence for rhythmic attention, however, is not limited to behavioral data. Here, I briefly discuss (i) issues with differentiating periodic and aperiodic structure in both behavioral and neural time series, (ii) findings from neural data that are consistent with rhythmic sampling and switching during attentional deployment, and (iii) whether alternative approaches to establishing periodicity in behavioral time series, recommended by Brookshire are appropriate for this particular research topic.
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8
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Abstract
The extent to which we are affected by perceptual input of which we are unaware is widely debated. By measuring neural responses to sensory stimulation, neuroscientific data could complement behavioral results with valuable evidence. Here we review neuroscientific findings of processing of high-level information, as well as interactions with attention and memory. Although the results are mixed, we find initial support for processing object categories and words, possibly to the semantic level, as well as emotional expressions. Robust neural evidence for face individuation and integration of sentences or scenes is lacking. Attention affects the processing of stimuli that are not consciously perceived, and such stimuli may exogenously but not endogenously capture attention when relevant, and be maintained in memory over time. Sources of inconsistency in the literature include variability in control for awareness as well as individual differences, calling for future studies that adopt stricter measures of awareness and probe multiple processes within subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liad Mudrik
- School of Psychological Sciences and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel;
| | - Leon Y Deouell
- Department of Psychology and The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel;
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9
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Putative rhythms in attentional switching can be explained by aperiodic temporal structure. Nat Hum Behav 2022; 6:1280-1291. [PMID: 35680992 PMCID: PMC9489532 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-022-01364-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The neural and perceptual effects of attention were traditionally assumed to be sustained over time, but recent work suggests that covert attention rhythmically switches between objects at 3-8 Hz. Here I use simulations to demonstrate that the analysis approaches commonly used to test for rhythmic oscillations generate false positives in the presence of aperiodic temporal structure. I then propose two alternative analyses that are better able to discriminate between periodic and aperiodic structure in time series. Finally, I apply these alternative analyses to published datasets and find no evidence for behavioural rhythms in attentional switching after accounting for aperiodic temporal structure. The techniques presented here will help clarify the periodic and aperiodic dynamics of perception and of cognition more broadly.
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10
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Jia J, Fan Y, Luo H. Alpha-Band Phase Modulates Bottom-up Feature Processing. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:1260-1268. [PMID: 34411242 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies reveal that attention operates in a rhythmic manner, that is, sampling each location or feature alternatively over time. However, most evidence derives from top-down tasks, and it remains elusive whether bottom-up processing also entails dynamic coordination. Here, we developed a novel feature processing paradigm and combined time-resolved behavioral measurements and electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings to address the question. Specifically, a salient color in a multicolor display serves as a noninformative cue to capture attention and presumably reset the oscillations of feature processing. We then measured the behavioral performance of a probe stimulus associated with either high- or low-salient color at varied temporal lags after the cue. First, the behavioral results (i.e., reaction time) display an alpha-band (~8 Hz) profile with a consistent phase lag between high- and low-salient conditions. Second, simultaneous EEG recordings show that behavioral performance is modulated by the phase of alpha-band neural oscillation at the onset of the probes. Finally, high- and low-salient probes are associated with distinct preferred phases of alpha-band neural oscillations. Taken together, our behavioral and neural results convergingly support a central function of alpha-band rhythms in feature processing, that is, features with varied saliency levels are processed at different phases of alpha neural oscillations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianrong Jia
- Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders of Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310015, China.,Institute of Psychological Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China.,Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311121, China
| | - Ying Fan
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.,IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Huan Luo
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.,IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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11
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Maier A, Tsuchiya N. Growing evidence for separate neural mechanisms for attention and consciousness. Atten Percept Psychophys 2021; 83:558-576. [PMID: 33034851 PMCID: PMC7886945 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-020-02146-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Our conscious experience of the world seems to go in lockstep with our attentional focus: We tend to see, hear, taste, and feel what we attend to, and vice versa. This tight coupling between attention and consciousness has given rise to the idea that these two phenomena are indivisible. In the late 1950s, the honoree of this special issue, Charles Eriksen, was among a small group of early pioneers that sought to investigate whether a transient increase in overall level of attention (alertness) in response to a noxious stimulus can be decoupled from conscious perception using experimental techniques. Recent years saw a similar debate regarding whether attention and consciousness are two dissociable processes. Initial evidence that attention and consciousness are two separate processes primarily rested on behavioral data. However, the past couple of years witnessed an explosion of studies aimed at testing this conjecture using neuroscientific techniques. Here we provide an overview of these and related empirical studies on the distinction between the neuronal correlates of attention and consciousness, and detail how advancements in theory and technology can bring about a more detailed understanding of the two. We argue that the most promising approach will combine ever-evolving neurophysiological and interventionist tools with quantitative, empirically testable theories of consciousness that are grounded in a mathematically formalized understanding of phenomenology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Maier
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
| | - Naotsugu Tsuchiya
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health & School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Advanced Telecommunications Research Computational Neuroscience Laboratories, 2-2-2 Hikaridai, Seika-cho, Soraku-gun, Kyoto, 619-0288, Japan
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12
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Jia J, Fang F, Luo H. Selective spatial attention involves two alpha-band components associated with distinct spatiotemporal and functional characteristics. Neuroimage 2019; 199:228-236. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.05.079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Revised: 05/12/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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Abstract
Evidence for perceptual periodicity emerges from studies showing periodic fluctuations in visual perception and decision making that are accompanied by neural oscillations in brain activity. We have uncovered signs of periodicity in the time course of binocular rivalry, a widely studied form of multistable perception. This was done by analyzing time series data contained in an unusually large dataset of rivalry state durations associated with states of exclusive monocular dominance and states of mixed perception during transitions between exclusive dominance. Identifiable within the varying durations of dynamic mixed perception are rhythmic clusters of durations whose incidence falls within the frequency band associated with oscillations in neural activity accompanying periodicity in perceptual judgments. Endogenous neural oscillations appear to be especially impactful when perception is unusually confounding.
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