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Hu N, Qian C, Zhang Z, Hu X, Wang X, Ma R, Long Q. Neural and behavioral dynamics of error processing under chronic stress in healthy young adults. Int J Clin Health Psychol 2025; 25:100561. [PMID: 40206961 PMCID: PMC11979926 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijchp.2025.100561] [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: 11/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/17/2025] [Indexed: 04/11/2025] Open
Abstract
Chronic stress has a negative impact on cognitive function and physical health, particularly impairing cognitive control function. This study aimed to investigate the effects of chronic stress on error processing, specifically error monitoring and post-error adjustment. We assessed 61 healthy college students (32 females, 29 males, age: 18.80 ± 0.68 years) using the Student-Life Stress Inventory (SLSI) and a four-choice Flanker task with response-stimulus intervals (RSIs) of 200 ms, 700 ms, and 1500 ms to investigate the temporal dynamics of error monitoring and characteristics of different phases of post-error processing under chronic stress. Results revealed that higher chronic stress levels were associated with smaller post-error slowing (PES) and larger post-error accuracy decrease (PEAD). Dividing participants into high-chronic stress (n = 30) and low-chronic stress (n = 31) groups, we found that the ΔPe amplitude at 200 ms RSI in the low-stress group was significantly larger than that in the high-stress group, indicating that chronic stress impairs the recognition of error responses. At 200 ms RSI, the PEAD in the high-stress group was significantly larger than in the low-stress group. This suggests that high levels of chronic stress impair early-stage post-error adjustment processing. The study highlights that chronic stress impairs error monitoring and early post-error processing, revealing features of continuous processing stages in behavioral monitoring under chronic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Hu
- School of Preschool & Special Education, Kunming University, Kunming 650214, PR China
| | - Chen Qian
- School of Preschool & Special Education, Kunming University, Kunming 650214, PR China
| | - Zhicheng Zhang
- Faculty of Education, Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok 10110, Thailand
| | - Xueping Hu
- Anhui Engineering Research Center for Intelligent Computing and Application on Cognitive Behavior, Faculty of Education, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei 23500, PR China
| | - Xiaoxi Wang
- School of Preschool & Special Education, Kunming University, Kunming 650214, PR China
| | - Ruimin Ma
- School of Preschool & Special Education, Kunming University, Kunming 650214, PR China
| | - Quanshan Long
- Faculty of Education, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650214, PR China
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2
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Grigis A, Gomez C, Frouin V, Duchesnay E, Uhrig L, Jarraya B. Revisiting the standard for modeling functional brain network activity: Application to consciousness. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0314598. [PMID: 39680526 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0314598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2024] [Accepted: 11/12/2024] [Indexed: 12/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Functional connectivity (FC) of resting-state fMRI time series can be estimated using methods that differ in their temporal sensitivity (static vs. dynamic) and the number of regions included in the connectivity estimation (derived from a prior atlas). This paper presents a novel framework for identifying and quantifying resting-state networks using resting-state fMRI recordings. The study employs a linear latent variable model to generate spatially distinct brain networks and their associated activities. It specifically addresses the atlas selection problem, and the statistical inference and multivariate analysis of the obtained brain network activities. The approach is demonstrated on a dataset of resting-state fMRI recordings from monkeys under different anesthetics using static FC. Our results suggest that two networks, one fronto-parietal and cingular and another temporo-parieto-occipital (posterior brain) strongly influences shifts in consciousness, especially between anesthesia and wakefulness. Interestingly, this observation aligns with the two prominent theories of consciousness: the global neural workspace and integrated information theories of consciousness. The proposed method is also able to decipher the level of anesthesia from the brain network activities. Overall, we provide a framework that can be effectively applied to other datasets and may be particularly useful for the study of disorders of consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Grigis
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, NeuroSpin, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Chloé Gomez
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, NeuroSpin, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U992, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Vincent Frouin
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, NeuroSpin, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | | | - Lynn Uhrig
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, NeuroSpin, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U992, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Béchir Jarraya
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, NeuroSpin, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U992, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Université Paris-Saclay (UVSQ), Neuroscience Pole, Foch Hospital, Suresnes, France
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3
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Kozuch B. Better bridges: Integrating the neuroscience and philosophy of consciousness. Conscious Cogn 2024; 126:103774. [PMID: 39488884 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2024.103774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2024] [Revised: 10/22/2024] [Accepted: 10/22/2024] [Indexed: 11/05/2024]
Abstract
Contemporary consciousness research has given rise to numerous theories in both the philosophical and neuroscientific domains (such as higher-order theory and global neuronal workspace), raising the question as to how well each is supported. This article develops a relatively novel method for determining this, which is to use evidence, not just from a theory's own domain, but also from its complementary domain (e.g., neuroscientific evidence is used to judge a philosophical theory, and vice versa). This approach works when a neuroscientific and a philosophical theory are conceptually linked, allowing evidence confirming or disconfirming one theory to do the same for the other. After developing this method, the article uses it to draw conclusions concerning some of our leading neuroscientific and philosophical theories of consciousness, including first- and second-order representationalism and theories emphasizing the prefrontal cortex's role in consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Kozuch
- University of Alabama, Philosophy Department, 336 ten Hoor Hall, 350 Marrs Spring Road, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401, USA.
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4
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Jang H, Mashour GA, Hudetz AG, Huang Z. Measuring the dynamic balance of integration and segregation underlying consciousness, anesthesia, and sleep in humans. Nat Commun 2024; 15:9164. [PMID: 39448600 PMCID: PMC11502666 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-53299-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 10/02/2024] [Indexed: 10/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Consciousness requires a dynamic balance of integration and segregation in brain networks. We report an fMRI-based metric, the integration-segregation difference (ISD), which captures two key network properties: network efficiency (integration) and clustering (segregation). With this metric, we quantify brain state transitions from conscious wakefulness to unresponsiveness induced by the anesthetic propofol. The observed changes in ISD suggest a profound shift towards the segregation of brain networks during anesthesia. A common unimodal-transmodal sequence of disintegration and reintegration occurs in brain networks during, respectively, loss and return of responsiveness. Machine learning models using integration and segregation data accurately identify awake vs. unresponsive states and their transitions. Metastability (dynamic recurrence of non-equilibrium transient states) is more effectively explained by integration, while complexity (diversity of neural activity) is more closely linked with segregation. A parallel analysis of sleep states produces similar findings. Our results demonstrate that the ISD reliably indexes states of consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyunwoo Jang
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Center for Consciousness Science, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - George A Mashour
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Center for Consciousness Science, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Michigan Psychedelic Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Anthony G Hudetz
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Center for Consciousness Science, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Michigan Psychedelic Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Zirui Huang
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Center for Consciousness Science, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
- Michigan Psychedelic Center, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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5
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Fleming SM, Shea N. Quality space computations for consciousness. Trends Cogn Sci 2024; 28:896-906. [PMID: 39025769 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2024.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
The quality space hypothesis about conscious experience proposes that conscious sensory states are experienced in relation to other possible sensory states. For instance, the colour red is experienced as being more like orange, and less like green or blue. Recent empirical findings suggest that subjective similarity space can be explained in terms of similarities in neural activation patterns. Here, we consider how localist, workspace, and higher-order theories of consciousness can accommodate claims about the qualitative character of experience and functionally support a quality space. We review existing empirical evidence for each of these positions, and highlight novel experimental tools, such as altering local activation spaces via brain stimulation or behavioural training, that can distinguish these accounts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen M Fleming
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK; Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK; Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, UK; Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), Brain, Mind, and Consciousness Program, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Nicholas Shea
- Institute of Philosophy, School of Advanced Study, University of London, London, UK; Faculty of Philosophy, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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6
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Duan Y, Zhan J, Gross J, Ince RAA, Schyns PG. Pre-frontal cortex guides dimension-reducing transformations in the occipito-ventral pathway for categorization behaviors. Curr Biol 2024; 34:3392-3404.e5. [PMID: 39029470 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.06.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024]
Abstract
To interpret our surroundings, the brain uses a visual categorization process. Current theories and models suggest that this process comprises a hierarchy of different computations that transforms complex, high-dimensional inputs into lower-dimensional representations (i.e., manifolds) in support of multiple categorization behaviors. Here, we tested this hypothesis by analyzing these transformations reflected in dynamic MEG source activity while individual participants actively categorized the same stimuli according to different tasks: face expression, face gender, pedestrian gender, and vehicle type. Results reveal three transformation stages guided by the pre-frontal cortex. At stage 1 (high-dimensional, 50-120 ms), occipital sources represent both task-relevant and task-irrelevant stimulus features; task-relevant features advance into higher ventral/dorsal regions, whereas task-irrelevant features halt at the occipital-temporal junction. At stage 2 (121-150 ms), stimulus feature representations reduce to lower-dimensional manifolds, which then transform into the task-relevant features underlying categorization behavior over stage 3 (161-350 ms). Our findings shed light on how the brain's network mechanisms transform high-dimensional inputs into specific feature manifolds that support multiple categorization behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaocong Duan
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Glasgow, 62 Hillhead Street, Glasgow G12 8QB, UK
| | - Jiayu Zhan
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Glasgow, 62 Hillhead Street, Glasgow G12 8QB, UK
| | - Joachim Gross
- Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignalanalysis, University of Münster, Malmedyweg 15, Münster 48149, Germany
| | - Robin A A Ince
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Glasgow, 62 Hillhead Street, Glasgow G12 8QB, UK
| | - Philippe G Schyns
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Glasgow, 62 Hillhead Street, Glasgow G12 8QB, UK.
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7
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Altmayer V, Sangare A, Calligaris C, Puybasset L, Perlbarg V, Naccache L, Sitt JD, Rohaut B. Functional and structural brain connectivity in disorders of consciousness. Brain Struct Funct 2024:10.1007/s00429-024-02839-8. [PMID: 39052096 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-024-02839-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Brain connectivity, allowing information to be shared between distinct cortical areas and thus to be processed in an integrated way, has long been considered critical for consciousness. However, the relationship between functional intercortical interactions and the structural connections thought to underlie them is poorly understood. In the present work, we explore both functional (with an EEG-based metric: the median weighted symbolic mutual information in the theta band) and structural (with a brain MRI-based metric: fractional anisotropy) connectivities in a cohort of 78 patients with disorders of consciousness. Both metrics could distinguish patients in a vegetative state from patients in minimally conscious state. Crucially, we discovered a significant positive correlation between functional and structural connectivities. Furthermore, we showed that this structure-function relationship is more specifically observed when considering structural connectivity within the intra- and inter-hemispheric long-distance cortico-cortical bundles involved in the Global Neuronal Workspace (GNW) theory of consciousness, thus supporting predictions of this model. Altogether, these results support the interest of multimodal assessments of brain connectivity in refining the diagnostic evaluation of patients with disorders of consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Altmayer
- Sorbonne University, Paris, F-75013, France
- Department of Neurology, AP-HP, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Neuro-ICU, Paris, F-75013, France
| | - Aude Sangare
- Sorbonne University, Paris, F-75013, France
- Department of Neurophysiology, AP-HP, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, F-75013, France
- PICNIC-Lab, Paris Brain Institute, (ICM), INSERM, CNRS, Hôpital Pitié Salpêtrière, 47 bvd de l'hôpital, Paris, F-75013, France
| | - Charlotte Calligaris
- Sorbonne University, Paris, F-75013, France
- Department of Neurology, AP-HP, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Neuro-ICU, Paris, F-75013, France
| | - Louis Puybasset
- Sorbonne University, Paris, F-75013, France
- Department of Neuro-anesthesiology and Neurocritical Care, AP-HP, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, F-75013, France
| | | | - Lionel Naccache
- Sorbonne University, Paris, F-75013, France
- Department of Neurophysiology, AP-HP, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, F-75013, France
- PICNIC-Lab, Paris Brain Institute, (ICM), INSERM, CNRS, Hôpital Pitié Salpêtrière, 47 bvd de l'hôpital, Paris, F-75013, France
| | - Jacobo Diego Sitt
- PICNIC-Lab, Paris Brain Institute, (ICM), INSERM, CNRS, Hôpital Pitié Salpêtrière, 47 bvd de l'hôpital, Paris, F-75013, France
| | - Benjamin Rohaut
- Sorbonne University, Paris, F-75013, France.
- Department of Neurology, AP-HP, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Neuro-ICU, Paris, F-75013, France.
- PICNIC-Lab, Paris Brain Institute, (ICM), INSERM, CNRS, Hôpital Pitié Salpêtrière, 47 bvd de l'hôpital, Paris, F-75013, France.
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8
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Northoff G, Zilio F, Zhang J. Beyond task response-Pre-stimulus activity modulates contents of consciousness. Phys Life Rev 2024; 49:19-37. [PMID: 38492473 DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2024.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
The current discussion on the neural correlates of the contents of consciousness (NCCc) focuses mainly on the post-stimulus period of task-related activity. This neglects the substantial impact of the spontaneous or ongoing activity of the brain as manifest in pre-stimulus activity. Does the interaction of pre- and post-stimulus activity shape the contents of consciousness? Addressing this gap in our knowledge, we review and converge two recent lines of findings, that is, pre-stimulus alpha power and pre- and post-stimulus alpha trial-to-trial variability (TTV). The data show that pre-stimulus alpha power modulates post-stimulus activity including specifically the subjective features of conscious contents like confidence and vividness. At the same time, alpha pre-stimulus variability shapes post-stimulus TTV reduction including the associated contents of consciousness. We propose that non-additive rather than merely additive interaction of the internal pre-stimulus activity with the external stimulus in the alpha band is key for contents to become conscious. This is mediated by mechanisms on different levels including neurophysiological, neurocomputational, neurodynamic, neuropsychological and neurophenomenal levels. Overall, considering the interplay of pre-stimulus intrinsic and post-stimulus extrinsic activity across wider timescales, not just evoked responses in the post-stimulus period, is critical for identifying neural correlates of consciousness. This is well in line with both processing and especially the Temporo-spatial theory of consciousness (TTC).
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Affiliation(s)
- Georg Northoff
- University of Ottawa, Institute of Mental Health Research at the Royal Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Canada.
| | - Federico Zilio
- Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Jianfeng Zhang
- Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
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Hu N, Long Q, Wang X, Li Q, Li Q, Chen A. Neural and Behavioral Measures of Stress-induced Impairment in Error Awareness and Post-error Adjustment. Neurosci Bull 2024; 40:937-951. [PMID: 38070027 PMCID: PMC11250752 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-023-01154-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Exposure to stress negatively affects error processing, but the impact of stress on error awareness remains to be determined. In the present study, we examined the temporal dynamics of error awareness and post-error adjustment following acute stress. Forty-nine healthy men were randomly assigned to the control (n = 26) or stress group (n = 23). After stress induction, participants completed the error awareness task, and their brain activity was assessed by electroencephalography. Compared to the control group, the stress group demonstrated lower error awareness accuracy and smaller Pe (error positivity) and ΔPe amplitudes following aware error responses, which indicated impairment of error awareness following stress. Furthermore, the stress group had lower accuracy in post-aware error responses than in post-unaware error responses and the control group, which indicated poor post-error adjustment following stress. Our results showed a stress effect on sequential stages of error processing. Stress induces impaired error identification, which further generates maladaptive post-error performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Hu
- School of Preschool and Special Education, Kunming University, Kunming, 650214, China
| | - Quanshan Long
- Faculty of Education, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, 650214, China
| | - Xiaoxi Wang
- School of Preschool and Special Education, Kunming University, Kunming, 650214, China
| | - Quan Li
- College of Teacher Education, Qujing Normal University, Qujing, 655099, China
| | - Qing Li
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Antao Chen
- School of Psychology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, 200438, China.
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10
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Chis-Ciure R, Melloni L, Northoff G. A measure centrality index for systematic empirical comparison of consciousness theories. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 161:105670. [PMID: 38615851 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2024] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Consciousness science is marred by disparate constructs and methodologies, making it challenging to systematically compare theories. This foundational crisis casts doubts on the scientific character of the field itself. Addressing it, we propose a framework for systematically comparing consciousness theories by introducing a novel inter-theory classification interface, the Measure Centrality Index (MCI). Recognizing its gradient distribution, the MCI assesses the degree of importance a specific empirical measure has for a given consciousness theory. We apply the MCI to probe how the empirical measures of the Global Neuronal Workspace Theory (GNW), Integrated Information Theory (IIT), and Temporospatial Theory of Consciousness (TTC) would fare within the context of the other two. We demonstrate that direct comparison of IIT, GNW, and TTC is meaningful and valid for some measures like Lempel-Ziv Complexity (LZC), Autocorrelation Window (ACW), and possibly Mutual Information (MI). In contrast, it is problematic for others like the anatomical and physiological neural correlates of consciousness (NCC) due to their MCI-based differential weightings within the structure of the theories. In sum, we introduce and provide proof-of-principle of a novel systematic method for direct inter-theory empirical comparisons, thereby addressing isolated evolution of theories and confirmatory bias issues in the state-of-the-art neuroscience of consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Chis-Ciure
- New York University (NYU), New York, USA; International Center for Neuroscience and Ethics (CINET), Tatiana Foundation, Madrid, Spain; Wolfram Physics Project, USA.
| | - Lucia Melloni
- Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Georg Northoff
- University of Ottawa, Institute of Mental Health Research at the Royal Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Canada
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11
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Kozuch B. An embarrassment of richnesses: the PFC isn't the content NCC. Neurosci Conscious 2024; 2024:niae017. [PMID: 38938921 PMCID: PMC11210398 DOI: 10.1093/nc/niae017] [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: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent years have seen the rise of several theories saying that the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is a neural correlate of visual consciousness (NCC). Especially popular here are theories saying that the PFC is the 'content NCC' for vision, i.e. it contains those brain areas that are not only necessary for consciousness, but also determine 'what' it is that we visually experience (e.g. whether we experience green or red). This article points out how this "upper-deck" form of PFC theory is at odds with the character of visual experience: on the one hand, visual consciousness appears to contain copious amounts of content, with many properties (such as object, shape, or color) being simultaneously represented in many parts of the visual field. On the other hand, the functions that the PFC carries out (e.g. attention and working memory) are each dedicated to processing only a relatively small subset of available visual stimuli. In short, the PFC probably does not produce enough or the right kind of visual representations for it to supply all of the content found in visual experience, in which case the idea that the PFC is the content NCC for vision is probably false. This article also discusses data thought to undercut the idea that visual experience is informationally rich (inattentional blindness, etc.), along with theories of vision according to which "ensemble statistics" are used to represent features in the periphery of the visual field. I'll argue that these lines of evidence fail to close the apparently vast gap between the amount of visual content represented in the visual experience and the amount represented in the PFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Kozuch
- Philosophy Department, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401, United States
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Hense A, Peters A, Bruchmann M, Dellert T, Straube T. Electrophysiological correlates of sustained conscious perception. Sci Rep 2024; 14:10593. [PMID: 38719939 PMCID: PMC11078977 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61281-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Previous research on the neural correlates of consciousness (NCC) in visual perception revealed an early event-related potential (ERP), the visual awareness negativity (VAN), to be associated with stimulus awareness. However, due to the use of brief stimulus presentations in previous studies, it remains unclear whether awareness-related negativities represent a transient onset-related response or correspond to the duration of a conscious percept. Studies are required that allow prolonged stimulus presentation under aware and unaware conditions. The present ERP study aimed to tackle this challenge by using a novel stimulation design. Male and female human participants (n = 62) performed a visual task while task-irrelevant line stimuli were presented in the background for either 500 or 1000 ms. The line stimuli sometimes contained a face, which needed so-called visual one-shot learning to be seen. Half of the participants were informed about the presence of the face, resulting in faces being perceived by the informed but not by the uninformed participants. Comparing ERPs between the informed and uninformed group revealed an enhanced negativity over occipitotemporal electrodes that persisted for the entire duration of stimulus presentation. Our results suggest that sustained visual awareness negativities (SVAN) are associated with the duration of stimulus presentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Hense
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Münster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, 48149, Münster, Germany.
| | - Antje Peters
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Münster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, 48149, Münster, Germany
- Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Fliednerstr. 21, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Maximilian Bruchmann
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Münster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, 48149, Münster, Germany
- Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Fliednerstr. 21, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Torge Dellert
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Münster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, 48149, Münster, Germany
- Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Fliednerstr. 21, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Thomas Straube
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Münster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, 48149, Münster, Germany
- Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Fliednerstr. 21, 48149, Münster, Germany
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Maffei A, Gambarota F, Liotti M, Dell'Acqua R, Tsuchiya N, Sessa P. Conscious perception of fear in faces: Insights from high-density EEG and perceptual awareness scale with threshold stimuli. Cortex 2024; 174:93-109. [PMID: 38493568 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2024.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Contrary to the extensive research on processing subliminal and/or unattended emotional facial expressions, only a minority of studies have investigated the neural correlates of consciousness (NCCs) of emotions conveyed by faces. In the present high-density electroencephalography (EEG) study, we first employed a staircase procedure to identify each participant's perceptual threshold of the emotion expressed by the face and then compared the EEG signals elicited in trials where the participants were aware with the activity elicited in trials where participants were unaware of the emotions expressed by these, otherwise identical, faces. Drawing on existing knowledge of the neural mechanisms of face processing and NCCs, we hypothesized that activity in frontal electrodes would be modulated in relation to participants' awareness of facial emotional content. More specifically, we hypothesized that the NCC of fear seen on someone else's face could be detected as a modulation of a later and more anterior (i.e., at frontal sites) event-related potential (ERP) than the face-sensitive N170. By adopting a data-driven approach and cluster-based statistics to the analysis of EEG signals, the results were clear-cut in showing that visual awareness of fear was associated with the modulation of a frontal ERP component in a 150-300 msec interval. These insights are dissected and contextualized in relation to prevailing theories of visual consciousness and their proposed NCC benchmarks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Maffei
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology (DPSS), University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Filippo Gambarota
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology (DPSS), University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Mario Liotti
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology (DPSS), University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Roberto Dell'Acqua
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology (DPSS), University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Naotsugu Tsuchiya
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health & School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Suita-shi, Osaka, Japan; Laboratory Head, Laboratory of Qualia Structure, ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories, Seika-cho, Soraku-gun, Kyoto, Japan.
| | - Paola Sessa
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology (DPSS), University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
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14
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Fesce R. The emergence of identity, agency and consciousness from the temporal dynamics of neural elaboration. FRONTIERS IN NETWORK PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 4:1292388. [PMID: 38628469 PMCID: PMC11018992 DOI: 10.3389/fnetp.2024.1292388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Identity-differentiating self from external reality-and agency-being the author of one's acts-are generally considered intrinsic properties of awareness and looked at as mental constructs generated by consciousness. Here a different view is proposed. All physiological systems display complex time-dependent regulations to adapt or anticipate external changes. To interact with rapid changes, an animal needs a nervous system capable of modelling and predicting (not simply representing) it. Different algorithms must be employed to predict the momentary location of an object based on sensory information (received with a delay), or to design in advance and direct the trajectory of movement. Thus, the temporal dynamics of external events and action must be handled in differential ways, thereby generating the distinction between self and non-self ("identity") as an intrinsic computational construct in neuronal elaboration. Handling time is not what neurons are designed for. Neuronal circuits are based on parallel processing: each bit of information diverges on many neurons, each of which combines it with many other data. Spike firing reports the likelihood that the specific pattern the neuron is designed to respond to is present in the incoming data. This organization seems designed to process synchronous datasets. However, since neural networks can introduce delays in processing, time sequences can be transformed into simultaneous patterns and analysed as such. This way predictive algorithms can be implemented, and continually improved through neuronal plasticity. To successfully interact with the external reality, the nervous system must model and predict, but also differentially handle perceptual functions or motor activity, by putting in register information that becomes available at different time moments. Also, to learn through positive/negative reinforcement, modelling must establish a causal relation between motor control and its consequences: the contrast between phase lag in perception and phase lead (and control) in motor programming produces the emergence of identity (discerning self from surrounding) and agency (control on actions) as necessary computational constructs to model reality. This does not require any form of awareness. In a brain, capable of producing awareness, these constructs may evolve from mere computational requirements into mental (conscious) constructs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Fesce
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Medical School, Pieve Emanuele, Italy
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15
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Züst MA. Dismissing the role of the hippocampus in implicit memory is special pleading. Cogn Neurosci 2024; 15:83-84. [PMID: 38647224 DOI: 10.1080/17588928.2024.2343663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Steinkrauss and Slotnick (this issue) argue against hippocampal involvement in implicit memory, bringing up some important considerations. Their critique, however, exhibits significant flaws. The argumentation is based on an ill-defined key concept of 'implicit memory,' and important theoretical context is missed. Potential confounds are brought to bear against a rather narrow selection of studies, often without explaining how exactly the studies are biased. Refining the conceptual scope, including a broader range of literature, and arguing more inclusively would provide more nuanced insights into the hippocampus's role in implicit memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Alain Züst
- University Hospital of Old Age Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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16
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Skora LI, Scott RB, Jocham G. Stimulus awareness is necessary for both instrumental learning and instrumental responding to previously learned stimuli. Cognition 2024; 244:105716. [PMID: 38184894 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2024.105716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Instrumental conditioning is a crucial part of adaptive behaviour, allowing agents to selectively interact with stimuli in their environment. Recent evidence suggests that instrumental conditioning cannot proceed without stimulus awareness. However, whether accurate unconscious instrumental responding can emerge from consciously acquired knowledge of the stimulus-action-outcome contingencies is unknown. We studied this question using instrumental trace conditioning, where participants learned to make approach/avoid decisions in two within-subject modes: conscious (stimuli in plain view) and unconscious (visually masked). Both tasks were followed by an unconscious-only instrumental performance task. We show that even when the contingencies are reliably learned in the conscious mode, participants fail to act upon them in the unconscious responding task. We also replicate the previous results that no instrumental learning occurs in the unconscious mode. Consequently, the absence of stimulus awareness not only precludes instrumental conditioning, but also precludes any kind of instrumental responding to already known stimuli. This suggests that instrumental behaviour is entirely supported by conscious awareness of the world, and corroborates the proposals that consciousness may be necessary for adaptive behaviours requiring selective action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina I Skora
- Biological Psychology of Decision Making, Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9RH, UK.
| | - Ryan B Scott
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9RH, UK; Sussex Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9RH, UK
| | - Gerhard Jocham
- Biological Psychology of Decision Making, Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
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17
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Rowe EG, Garrido MI, Tsuchiya N. Feedforward connectivity patterns from visual areas to the front of the brain contain information about sensory stimuli regardless of awareness or report. Cortex 2024; 172:284-300. [PMID: 38142179 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2023.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023]
Abstract
Current theories of consciousness can be categorized to some extent by their predictions about the putative role of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in conscious perception. One family of the theories proposes that the PFC is necessary for conscious perception. The other postulates that the PFC is not necessary and that other areas (e.g., posterior cortical areas) are more important for conscious perception. No-report paradigms could potentially arbitrate the debate as they disentangle task reporting from conscious perception. While previous no-report paradigms tend to point to a reduction in PFC activity, they have not examined the critical role of the PFC in "monitoring" or "reading out" the patterns of activity in the sensory cortex to generate conscious perception. To address this, we reanalysed electroencephalography (EEG) data from a no-report inattentional blindness paradigm (Shafto & Pitts, 2015). We examined the role of feedforward input patterns to the PFC from sensory cortices. We employed nonparametric spectral Granger causality and quantified the amount of information that reflected the contents of consciousness using multivariate classifiers. Unexpectedly, regardless of whether the stimulus was consciously seen or not, we found that information relating to the current sensory stimulus was present in the pattern of inputs from visual areas to the PFC. In light of these findings, we suggest various theories of consciousness need to be revised to accommodate the fact that the contents of consciousness are decodable from the input patterns from posterior sensory regions to the PFC, regardless of awareness (or report).
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise G Rowe
- School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia; Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Marta I Garrido
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Victoria, Australia
| | - Naotsugu Tsuchiya
- School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia; Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia; Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Suita, Osaka, Japan; Department of Qualia Structure, ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories, Seika-cho, Soraku-gun, Kyoto, Japan; ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function, Victoria, Australia
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18
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Lane TJ, Liou TH, Kung YC, Tseng P, Wu CW. Functional blindsight and its diagnosis. Front Neurol 2024; 15:1207115. [PMID: 38385044 PMCID: PMC10879618 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1207115] [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: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Even when brain scans fail to detect a striate lesion, functional evidence for blindsight can be adduced. In the aftermath of an automobile accident, JK became blind. Results of ophthalmic exams indicated that the blindness must be cortical. Nevertheless, multiple MRI scans failed to detect structural damage to the striate cortex. Prior to the accident JK had been an athlete; after the accident he retained some athletic abilities, arousing suspicions that he might be engaged in fraud. His residual athletic abilities-e.g., hitting a handball or baseball, or catching a Frisbee-coupled with his experienced blindness, suggested blindsight. But due to the apparent absence of striate lesions, we designed a series of tasks for temporal and spatial dimensions in an attempt to detect functional evidence of his disability. Indeed, test results revealed compelling neural evidence that comport with his subjective reports. This spatiotemporal task-related method that includes contrasts with healthy controls, and detailed understanding of the patient's conscious experience, can be generalized for clinical, scientific and forensic investigations of blindsight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Joseph Lane
- Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain, and Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei City, Taiwan
- Brain and Consciousness Research Centre, Taipei Medical University, Taipei City, Taiwan
- Institute of European and American Studies, Academia Sinica, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Tsan-Hon Liou
- Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain, and Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei City, Taiwan
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei City, Taiwan
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, TMU Shuang Ho Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Chia Kung
- Department of Radiology, National Defense Medical Center, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei City, Taiwan
- Taiwan Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Philip Tseng
- Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain, and Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei City, Taiwan
- Brain and Consciousness Research Centre, Taipei Medical University, Taipei City, Taiwan
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei City, Taiwan
- Research Center for Mind, Brain and Learning, National Chengchi University, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Changwei W. Wu
- Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain, and Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei City, Taiwan
- Brain and Consciousness Research Centre, Taipei Medical University, Taipei City, Taiwan
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19
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Di Gregorio F, Steinhauser M, Maier ME, Thayer JF, Battaglia S. Error-related cardiac deceleration: Functional interplay between error-related brain activity and autonomic nervous system in performance monitoring. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 157:105542. [PMID: 38215803 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
Coordinated interactions between the central and autonomic nervous systems are crucial for survival due to the inherent propensity for human behavior to make errors. In our ever-changing environment, when individuals make mistakes, these errors can have life-threatening consequences. In response to errors, specific reactions occur in both brain activity and heart rate to detect and correct errors. Specifically, there are two brain-related indicators of error detection and awareness known as error-related negativity and error positivity. Conversely, error-related cardiac deceleration denotes a momentary slowing of heart rate following an error, signaling an autonomic response. However, what is the connection between the brain and the heart during error processing? In this review, we discuss the functional and neuroanatomical connections between the brain and heart markers of error processing, exploring the experimental conditions in which they covary. Given the current limitations of available data, future research will continue to investigate the neurobiological factors governing the brain-heart interaction, aiming to utilize them as combined markers for assessing cognitive control in healthy and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Di Gregorio
- Center for Studies and Research in Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology "Renzo Canestrari", Cesena Campus, Alma Mater Studiorum Universita di Bologna, 47521 Cesena, Italy.
| | - Marco Steinhauser
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, 85072 Eichstätt, Germany
| | - Martin E Maier
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, 85072 Eichstätt, Germany
| | - Julian F Thayer
- Department of Psychological Science, 4334 Social and Behavioral Sciences Gateway, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Simone Battaglia
- Center for Studies and Research in Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology "Renzo Canestrari", Cesena Campus, Alma Mater Studiorum Universita di Bologna, 47521 Cesena, Italy; Department of Psychology, University of Torino, 10124 Torino, Italy.
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20
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Botta A, Zhao M, Samogin J, Pelosin E, Bonassi G, Lagravinese G, Mantini D, Avenanti A, Avanzino L. Early modulations of neural oscillations during the processing of emotional body language. Psychophysiology 2024; 61:e14436. [PMID: 37681463 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
The processing of threat-related emotional body language (EBL) has been shown to engage sensorimotor cortical areas early on and induce freezing in the observers' motor system, particularly when observing fearful EBL. To provide insights into the interplay between somatosensory and motor areas during observation of EBL, here, we used high-density electroencephalography (hd-EEG) in healthy humans while they observed EBL stimuli involving fearful and neutral expressions. To capture early sensorimotor brain response, we focused on P100 fronto-central event-related potentials (ERPs) and event-related desynchronization/synchronization (ERD/ERS) in the mu-alpha (8-13 Hz) and lower beta (13-20 Hz) bands over the primary motor (M1) and somatosensory (S1) cortices. Source-level ERP and ERD/ERS analyses were conducted using eLORETA. Results revealed higher P100 amplitudes in motor and premotor channels for 'Neutral' compared with 'Fear'. Additionally, analysis of ERD/ERS showed increased beta band desynchronization in M1 for 'Neutral', and the opposite pattern in S1. Source-level estimation showed significant differences between conditions mainly observed in the beta band over sensorimotor areas. These findings provide high-temporal resolution evidence suggesting that seeing fearful EBL induces early activation of somatosensory areas, which in turn could suppress M1 activity. These findings highlight early dynamics within the observer's sensorimotor system and hint at a sensorimotor mechanism supporting freezing during the processing of EBL.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mingqi Zhao
- Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jessica Samogin
- Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Elisa Pelosin
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, and Maternal Child Health (DINOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Gaia Bonassi
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, and Maternal Child Health (DINOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Giovanna Lagravinese
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, and Maternal Child Health (DINOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Dante Mantini
- Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Alessio Avenanti
- Centro studi e ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Dipartimento di Psicologia "Renzo Canestrari", Campus Cesena, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Cesena, Italy
- Centro de Investigación en Neuropsicología y Neurociencias Cognitivas, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
| | - Laura Avanzino
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
- Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES), Section of Human Physiology, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
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21
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Fazekas P, Cleeremans A, Overgaard M. A construct-first approach to consciousness science. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 156:105480. [PMID: 38008237 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023]
Abstract
We propose a new approach to consciousness science that instead of comparing complex theoretical positions deconstructs existing theories, takes their central assumptions while disregarding their auxiliary hypotheses, and focuses its investigations on the main constructs that these central assumptions rely on (like global workspace, recurrent processing, metarepresentation). Studying how these main constructs are anchored in lower-level constructs characterizing underlying neural processing will not just offer an alternative to theory comparisons but will also take us one step closer to empirical resolutions. Moreover, exploring the compatibility and possible combinations of the lower-level constructs will allow for new theoretical syntheses. This construct-first approach will improve our ability to understand the commitments of existing theories and pave the way for moving beyond them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Fazekas
- Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Aarhus University, Høegh-Guldbergs Gade 6B, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark; Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus University, Universitetsbyen 3, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark.
| | - Axel Cleeremans
- Center for Research in Cognition & Neurosciences, Université Libre De Bruxelles, 50 avenue F.D. Roosevelt CP191, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Morten Overgaard
- Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus University, Universitetsbyen 3, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
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22
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Li S, Chen Y, Ren P, Li Z, Zhang J, Liang X. Alterations in rat brain modular organization during unconsciousness are dependent on communication efficiency and metabolic cost. Brain Struct Funct 2023; 228:2115-2124. [PMID: 37733058 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-023-02708-w] [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: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Spontaneous brain activity exhibits a highly structured modular organization that varies across individuals and reconfigures over time. Although it has been proposed that brain organization is shaped by an economic trade-off between minimizing costs and facilitating efficient information transfer, it remains untested whether modular variability and its changes during unconscious conditions might be constrained by the economy of brain organization. We acquired functional MRI and FDG-PET in rats under three different levels of consciousness induced by propofol administration. We examined alterations in brain modular variability during loss of consciousness from mild sedation to deep anesthesia. We also investigated the relationships between modular variability with glucose metabolism and functional connectivity strength as well as their alterations during unconsciousness. We observed that modular variability increased during loss of consciousness. Critically, across-individual modular variability is oppositely associated with functional connectivity strength and cerebral metabolism, and with deepening dosage of anesthesia, becoming increasingly dependent on basal metabolism over functional connectivity. These results suggested that, propofol-induced unconsciousness may lead to brain modular reorganization, which are putatively shaped by re-negotiations between energetic resources and communication efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyang Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
- Laboratory for Space Environment and Physical Sciences, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Yali Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Peng Ren
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Zhipeng Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
- Laboratory for Space Environment and Physical Sciences, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Xia Liang
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China.
- Laboratory for Space Environment and Physical Sciences, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China.
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23
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Grinde B, Husselman TA. An Attempt to Explain Visual Aesthetic Appreciation. Integr Psychol Behav Sci 2023; 57:840-855. [PMID: 35583718 PMCID: PMC10350433 DOI: 10.1007/s12124-022-09701-8] [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] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
We suggest an evolutionary based explanation for why humans are preoccupied with aesthetic aspects of visual input. Briefly, humans evolved to be swayed by positive and negative feelings in the form of rewards and punishments, and to pursue situations that induce rewards, even when the feeling is not sufficiently strong to be recognized as a reward. The brain is designed to offer rewards when a person focuses on certain types of visual stimuli. For example, warm colors are typically pleasant because they are associated with edible fruits, and complex images appeal to curiosity. At some point people began exploiting these types of brain rewards by beautifying objects and creating art. The utility of objects, and the associative (or communicative) aspects of art, may dominate the design, but the artist tends to add aesthetic elements. These elements imply visual aspects that do not add to the functional value or evoke memories or associations based on easily recognized features in the picture. The adaptive rationale for the rewards offered by the aesthetic elements should help explain human aesthetic appreciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bjørn Grinde
- Division of Mental and Physical Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
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24
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Molle L, Coste A, Benoit CE, Derosiere G, Janaqi S, Perrey S, Dupeyron A. Inhalation boosts perceptual awareness and decision speed. J Neurophysiol 2023; 130:516-523. [PMID: 37529836 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00492.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of consciousness is one of biology's biggest mysteries. During the past two decades, a major effort has been made to identify the neural correlates of consciousness, but in comparison, little is known about the physiological mechanisms underlying first-person subjective experience. Attention is considered the gateway of information to consciousness. Recent work suggests that the breathing phase (i.e., inhalation vs. exhalation) modulates attention, in such a way that attention directed toward exteroceptive information would increase during inhalation. One key hypothesis emerging from this work is that inhalation would improve perceptual awareness and near-threshold decision-making. The present study directly tested this hypothesis. We recorded the breathing rhythms of 30 humans performing a near-threshold decision-making task, in which they had to decide whether a liminal Gabor was tilted to the right or the left (objective decision task) and then to rate their perceptual awareness of the Gabor orientation (subjective decision task). In line with our hypothesis, the data revealed that, relative to exhalation, inhalation improves perceptual awareness and speeds up objective decision-making, without impairing accuracy. Overall, the present study builds on timely questions regarding the physiological mechanisms underlying consciousness and shows that breathing shapes the emergence of subjective experience and decision-making.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Breathing is a ubiquitous biological rhythm in animal life. However, little is known about its effect on consciousness and decision-making. Here, we measured the respiratory rhythm of humans performing a near-threshold discrimination experiment. We show that inhalation, compared with exhalation, improves perceptual awareness and accelerates decision-making while leaving accuracy unaffected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludovic Molle
- EuroMov Digital Health in Motion, Univ Montpellier, IMT Mines Ales, Montpellier, France
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Nîmes University Hospital, Univ Montpellier, Nîmes, France
| | - Alexandre Coste
- EuroMov Digital Health in Motion, Univ Montpellier, IMT Mines Ales, Montpellier, France
| | - Charles-Etienne Benoit
- Inter-University Laboratory of Human Movement Biology, EA 7424, Univ Lyon, University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Gerard Derosiere
- Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center - Impact team, Inserm U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon 1 University, Bron, France
| | - Stefan Janaqi
- EuroMov Digital Health in Motion, Univ Montpellier, IMT Mines Ales, Montpellier, France
| | - Stéphane Perrey
- EuroMov Digital Health in Motion, Univ Montpellier, IMT Mines Ales, Montpellier, France
| | - Arnaud Dupeyron
- EuroMov Digital Health in Motion, Univ Montpellier, IMT Mines Ales, Montpellier, France
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Nîmes University Hospital, Univ Montpellier, Nîmes, France
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Huang Z. Temporospatial Nestedness in Consciousness: An Updated Perspective on the Temporospatial Theory of Consciousness. ENTROPY (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 25:1074. [PMID: 37510023 PMCID: PMC10378228 DOI: 10.3390/e25071074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Time and space are fundamental elements that permeate the fabric of nature, and their significance in relation to neural activity and consciousness remains a compelling yet unexplored area of research. The Temporospatial Theory of Consciousness (TTC) provides a framework that links time, space, neural activity, and consciousness, shedding light on the intricate relationships among these dimensions. In this review, I revisit the fundamental concepts and mechanisms proposed by the TTC, with a particular focus on the central concept of temporospatial nestedness. I propose an extension of temporospatial nestedness by incorporating the nested relationship between the temporal circuit and functional geometry of the brain. To further unravel the complexities of temporospatial nestedness, future research directions should emphasize the characterization of functional geometry and the temporal circuit across multiple spatial and temporal scales. Investigating the links between these scales will yield a more comprehensive understanding of how spatial organization and temporal dynamics contribute to conscious states. This integrative approach holds the potential to uncover novel insights into the neural basis of consciousness and reshape our understanding of the world-brain dynamic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zirui Huang
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;
- Center for Consciousness Science, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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Schirner M, Deco G, Ritter P. Learning how network structure shapes decision-making for bio-inspired computing. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2963. [PMID: 37221168 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38626-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
To better understand how network structure shapes intelligent behavior, we developed a learning algorithm that we used to build personalized brain network models for 650 Human Connectome Project participants. We found that participants with higher intelligence scores took more time to solve difficult problems, and that slower solvers had higher average functional connectivity. With simulations we identified a mechanistic link between functional connectivity, intelligence, processing speed and brain synchrony for trading accuracy with speed in dependence of excitation-inhibition balance. Reduced synchrony led decision-making circuits to quickly jump to conclusions, while higher synchrony allowed for better integration of evidence and more robust working memory. Strict tests were applied to ensure reproducibility and generality of the obtained results. Here, we identify links between brain structure and function that enable to learn connectome topology from noninvasive recordings and map it to inter-individual differences in behavior, suggesting broad utility for research and clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Schirner
- Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
- Department of Neurology with Experimental Neurology, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
- Bernstein Focus State Dependencies of Learning and Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Berlin, Germany.
- Einstein Center for Neuroscience Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
- Einstein Center Digital Future, Wilhelmstraße 67, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Gustavo Deco
- Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Center for Brain and Cognition, Computational Neuroscience Group, University of Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
- School of Psychological Sciences, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Clayton, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Petra Ritter
- Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
- Department of Neurology with Experimental Neurology, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
- Bernstein Focus State Dependencies of Learning and Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Berlin, Germany.
- Einstein Center for Neuroscience Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
- Einstein Center Digital Future, Wilhelmstraße 67, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
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Zhang J, Guo X, Zhang W, Liu D, Chen P, Zhang Y, Ru X. Maternal Variability of Amplitudes of Frequency Fluctuations Is Related to the Progressive Self-Other Transposition Group Intervention in Autistic Children. Brain Sci 2023; 13:774. [PMID: 37239246 PMCID: PMC10216674 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13050774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The self-to-other model of empathy (SOME) states that a key reason for the empathic deficiency in autistic individuals is the imbalance of the self-other switch. The existing interventions of theory of mind contain training of self-other transposition ability but combined with other cognitive trainings. The self-other distinction brain areas of autistic individuals have been revealed, but the brain areas of the self-other transposition ability and its intervention have not been investigated. There are normalized amplitudes of low-frequency fluctuations (mALFFs) within 0.01-0.1 Hz and many normalized amplitudes of frequency fluctuations (mAFFs) within 0-0.01, 0.01-0.05, 0.05-0.1, 0.1-0.15, 0.15-0.2, and 0.2-0.25 Hz. Therefore, the current study established a progressive self-other transposition group intervention to specifically and systematically improve autistic children's self-other transposition abilities. The transposition test with a three mountains test, an unexpected location test, and a deception test was used to directly measure autistic children's transposition abilities. The Interpersonal Responsiveness Index Empathy Questionnaire with perspective-taking and fantasy subscales (IRI-T) was used to indirectly measure autistic children's transposition abilities. The Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC) was used to measure autistic children's autism symptoms. The experiment was designed with two (intervention: experimental group vs. control group) independent variables and two (test time: pretest vs. posttest or tracking test) × three (test: transposition test vs. IRI-T test vs. ATEC test) dependent variables. Furthermore, it used eyes-closed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate and compare the relevant maternal mALFFs and average energy rank and energy rank variability of mAFFs of autistic children's transposition abilities, autism symptoms, and intervention effects. The results showed the following: (1) There were many improvements (pretest vs. posttest or tracking test) greater than chance 0 in the experimental group, such as the three mountains, lie, transposition, PT, IRI-T, PT tracking, cognition, behavior, ATEC, language tracking, cognition tracking, behavior tracking, and ATEC tracking improvements. However, there was no improvement greater than chance 0 in the control group. (2) The maternal mALFFs and maternal average energy rank and energy rank variability of mAFFs could predict the autistic children's transposition abilities, autism symptoms, and intervention effects with some overlap and some difference in maternal self-other distinction, sensorimotor, visual, facial expression recognition, language, memory and emotion, and self-consciousness networks. These results indicated that the progressive self-other transposition group intervention successfully improved autistic children's transposition abilities and reduced their autism symptoms; the intervention effects could be applied to daily life and last up to a month. The maternal mALFFs, average energy rank, and energy rank variability of mAFFs were three effective neural indictors of autistic children's transposition abilities, autism symptoms, and intervention effects, and the average energy rank and energy rank variability of mAFFs were two new neural indictors established in the current study. The maternal neural markers of the progressive self-other transposition group intervention effects for autistic children were found in part.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianxin Zhang
- The Autism Research Center, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China;
- School of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Xiaorong Guo
- Department of Radiology, Dushu Lake Public Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Medical Center of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China; (X.G.); (W.Z.)
| | - Weiguo Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Dushu Lake Public Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Medical Center of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China; (X.G.); (W.Z.)
| | - Dianzhi Liu
- The Autism Research Center, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China;
- School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China; (P.C.); (Y.Z.); (X.R.)
| | - Peiqi Chen
- School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China; (P.C.); (Y.Z.); (X.R.)
| | - Yuqing Zhang
- School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China; (P.C.); (Y.Z.); (X.R.)
| | - Xiaoyuan Ru
- School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China; (P.C.); (Y.Z.); (X.R.)
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Lawn T, Martins D, O'Daly O, Williams S, Howard M, Dipasquale O. The effects of propofol anaesthesia on molecular-enriched networks during resting-state and naturalistic listening. Neuroimage 2023; 271:120018. [PMID: 36935083 PMCID: PMC10410200 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120018] [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: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Placing a patient in a state of anaesthesia is crucial for modern surgical practice. However, the mechanisms by which anaesthetic drugs, such as propofol, impart their effects on consciousness remain poorly understood. Propofol potentiates GABAergic transmission, which purportedly has direct actions on cortex as well as indirect actions via ascending neuromodulatory systems. Functional imaging studies to date have been limited in their ability to unravel how these effects on neurotransmission impact the system-level dynamics of the brain. Here, we leveraged advances in multi-modal imaging, Receptor-Enriched Analysis of functional Connectivity by Targets (REACT), to investigate how different levels of propofol-induced sedation alter neurotransmission-related functional connectivity (FC), both at rest and when individuals are exposed to naturalistic auditory stimulation. Propofol increased GABA-A- and noradrenaline transporter-enriched FC within occipital and somatosensory regions respectively. Additionally, during auditory stimulation, the network related to the dopamine transporter showed reduced FC within bilateral regions of temporal and mid/posterior cingulate cortices, with the right temporal cluster showing an interaction between auditory stimulation and level of consciousness. In bringing together these micro- and macro-scale systems, we provide support for both direct GABAergic and indirect noradrenergic and dopaminergic-related network changes under propofol sedation. Further, we delineate a cognition-related reconfiguration of the dopaminergic network, highlighting the utility of REACT to explore the molecular substrates of consciousness and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Lawn
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's college London, London, UK.
| | - Daniel Martins
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's college London, London, UK
| | - Owen O'Daly
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's college London, London, UK
| | - Steve Williams
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's college London, London, UK
| | - Matthew Howard
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's college London, London, UK
| | - Ottavia Dipasquale
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's college London, London, UK
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29
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Yu R. Perceptual and semantic same-different processing under subliminal conditions. Conscious Cogn 2023; 111:103523. [PMID: 37100000 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2023.103523] [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: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Abstract
Although other types of subliminal integrative processing are widely refuted by recent studies, subliminal same-different processing (SSDP) remains unchallenged to this day. Using shapes, categorical images, and Chinese characters as stimuli, the current study assessed whether SSDP can occur on a perceptual and semantic basis. Although some significant results were found, the effects are much weaker than previous studies, with Bayes factors suggesting that these effects are not reliable. It is therefore concluded that substantiating claims of SSDP requires more reliable evidence than currently available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongjun Yu
- Department of Management, Marketing, and Information Systems, Hong Kong Baptist University, 999077, Hong Kong, China.
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30
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Di Gregorio F, Petrone V, Casanova E, Lullini G, Romei V, Piperno R, La Porta F. Hierarchical psychophysiological pathways subtend perceptual asymmetries in Neglect. Neuroimage 2023; 270:119942. [PMID: 36796529 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.119942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Stroke patients with left Hemispatial Neglect (LHN) show deficits in perceiving left contralesional stimuli with biased visuospatial perception towards the right hemifield. However, very little is known about the functional organization of the visuospatial perceptual neural network and how this can account for the profound reorganization of space representation in LHN. In the present work, we aimed at (1) identifying EEG measures that discriminate LHN patients against controls and (2) devise a causative neurophysiological model between the discriminative EEG measures. To these aims, EEG was recorded during exposure to lateralized visual stimuli which allowed for pre-and post-stimulus activity investigation across three groups: LHN patients, lesioned controls, and healthy individuals. Moreover, all participants performed a standard behavioral test assessing the perceptual asymmetry index in detecting lateralized stimuli. The between-groups discriminative EEG patterns were entered into a Structural Equation Model for the identification of causative hierarchical associations (i.e., pathways) between EEG measures and the perceptual asymmetry index. The model identified two pathways. A first pathway showed that the combined contribution of pre-stimulus frontoparietal connectivity and individual-alpha-frequency predicts post-stimulus processing, as measured by visual-evoked N100, which, in turn, predicts the perceptual asymmetry index. A second pathway directly links the inter-hemispheric distribution of alpha-amplitude with the perceptual asymmetry index. The two pathways can collectively explain 83.1% of the variance in the perceptual asymmetry index. Using causative modeling, the present study identified how psychophysiological correlates of visuospatial perception are organized and predict the degree of behavioral asymmetry in LHN patients and controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Di Gregorio
- UOC Medicina Riabilitativa e Neuroriabilitazione, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale, Bologna 40133, Italy
| | - Valeria Petrone
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Emanuela Casanova
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giada Lullini
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Romei
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Centro Studi E Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, Campus di Cesena, Cesena 47521, Italy
| | - Roberto Piperno
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Fabio La Porta
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
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31
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Northoff G, Scalabrini A, Fogel S. Topographic-dynamic reorganisation model of dreams (TRoD) - A spatiotemporal approach. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 148:105117. [PMID: 36870584 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105117] [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] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Dreams are one of the most bizarre and least understood states of consciousness. Bridging the gap between brain and phenomenology of (un)conscious experience, we propose the Topographic-dynamic Re-organization model of Dreams (TRoD). Topographically, dreams are characterized by a shift towards increased activity and connectivity in the default-mode network (DMN) while they are reduced in the central executive network, including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (except in lucid dreaming). This topographic re-organization is accompanied by dynamic changes; a shift towards slower frequencies and longer timescales. This puts dreams dynamically in an intermediate position between awake state and NREM 2/SWS sleep. TRoD proposes that the shift towards DMN and slower frequencies leads to an abnormal spatiotemporal framing of input processing including both internally- and externally-generated inputs (from body and environment). In dreams, a shift away from temporal segregation to temporal integration of inputs results in the often bizarre and highly self-centric mental contents as well as hallucinatory-like states. We conclude that topography and temporal dynamics are core features of the TroD, which may provide the connection of neural and mental activity, e.g., brain and experience during dreams as their "common currency".
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Affiliation(s)
- 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.
| | - Andrea Scalabrini
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy.
| | - Stuart Fogel
- Sleep and Neuroscience, The Royal's Institute of Mental Health Research, Brain and Mind Research Institute and Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
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32
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Melloni L, Mudrik L, Pitts M, Bendtz K, Ferrante O, Gorska U, Hirschhorn R, Khalaf A, Kozma C, Lepauvre A, Liu L, Mazumder D, Richter D, Zhou H, Blumenfeld H, Boly M, Chalmers DJ, Devore S, Fallon F, de Lange FP, Jensen O, Kreiman G, Luo H, Panagiotaropoulos TI, Dehaene S, Koch C, Tononi G. An adversarial collaboration protocol for testing contrasting predictions of global neuronal workspace and integrated information theory. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0268577. [PMID: 36763595 PMCID: PMC9916582 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The relationship between conscious experience and brain activity has intrigued scientists and philosophers for centuries. In the last decades, several theories have suggested different accounts for these relationships. These theories have developed in parallel, with little to no cross-talk among them. To advance research on consciousness, we established an adversarial collaboration between proponents of two of the major theories in the field, Global Neuronal Workspace and Integrated Information Theory. Together, we devised and preregistered two experiments that test contrasting predictions of these theories concerning the location and timing of correlates of visual consciousness, which have been endorsed by the theories' proponents. Predicted outcomes should either support, refute, or challenge these theories. Six theory-impartial laboratories will follow the study protocol specified here, using three complementary methods: Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), Magneto-Electroencephalography (M-EEG), and intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG). The study protocol will include built-in replications, both between labs and within datasets. Through this ambitious undertaking, we hope to provide decisive evidence in favor or against the two theories and clarify the footprints of conscious visual perception in the human brain, while also providing an innovative model of large-scale, collaborative, and open science practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Melloni
- Neural Circuits, Consciousness and Cognition Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Department of Neurology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Liad Mudrik
- School of Psychological Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Michael Pitts
- Psychology Department, Reed College, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Katarina Bendtz
- Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Oscar Ferrante
- Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Urszula Gorska
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Rony Hirschhorn
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Aya Khalaf
- Department of Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Biomedical Engineering and Systems, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Csaba Kozma
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Alex Lepauvre
- Neural Circuits, Consciousness and Cognition Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Ling Liu
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Science, Peking University, Peking, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Science at Peking University, Peking, China
| | - David Mazumder
- Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - David Richter
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Hao Zhou
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique (CEA), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) U992, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hal Blumenfeld
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Melanie Boly
- Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - David J. Chalmers
- Department of Philosophy, New York University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Sasha Devore
- Department of Neurology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Francis Fallon
- Philosophy Department, St. John’s University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Floris P. de Lange
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Ole Jensen
- Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Gabriel Kreiman
- Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Center for Brains, Minds and Machines, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Huan Luo
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Science, Peking University, Peking, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Science at Peking University, Peking, China
| | - Theofanis I. Panagiotaropoulos
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique (CEA), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) U992, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Stanislas Dehaene
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique (CEA), Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) U992, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Collège de France, Paris, France
| | - Christof Koch
- MindScope Program, Allen Institute, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Giulio Tononi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
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33
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Fesce R. Imagination: The dawn of consciousness: Fighting some misconceptions in the discussion about consciousness. Physiol Behav 2023; 259:114035. [PMID: 36403782 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2022.114035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Several theories of consciousness (ToC) have been proposed, but it is hard to integrate them into a consensus theory. Each theory has its merits, in dealing with some aspects of the question, but the terminology is inconsistent, each ToC aims at answering a different question, and there is not even a reasonable agreement about what 'consciousness' is in the first place. Some common implicit assumptions, and the way some critical words - such as 'sensation', 'perception', 'neural correlate of consciousness' (NCC) - are thought to relate to consciousness, have introduced a series of misconceptions that make it difficult to pinpoint what consciousness consists in and how it arises in the brain. The purpose of this contribution is twofold: firstly, to discern the various steps that lead from the detection of a stimulus to a conscious experience, by redefining terms such as sensation and perception with an adequate operative meaning; secondly, to emphasize the inevitable contribution of emotions and the active role of imagination in this process. The diffuse view, for the layperson but among scientists as well, is that the brain produces an internal 'representation' of the external reality and of oneself. This tends to consign one to a Cartesian perspective, i.e., the idea that some entity must be there to witness and interpret such representation. This approach splits the conscious experience into brain activity, which generates a (possible) content of consciousness (still unconscious), and a vaguely defined entity or process that 'generates' consciousness and injects (or sheds the light of) consciousness onto the content of brain activity. This way, however, we learn nothing about how such consciousness would arise. We propose here that consciousness is the function that generates a subjectively relevant and emotionally coloured internal image of the experience one is living. In this process, endogenous, spontaneous activity (imaginative activity, consisting in recalling and reviving memories, prefiguring consequences, analysing conjectures) produces many vague and ambiguous hints, rich of symbolic links, which compete in giving rise to an implicit, emotionally characterized, and semantically pleiotropic, internal experience. Cognitive elaboration may extract from this a defined and univocal, complete and consistent, explicit experience, that can be verbally reported ('what it is like to...').
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Fesce
- Department of Biomedical Sciences - Humanitas University Medical School.
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34
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Feasibility of unconscious instrumental conditioning: A registered replication. Cortex 2023; 159:101-117. [PMID: 36621202 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2022.12.003] [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] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The extent to which high-level, complex functions can proceed unconsciously has been a topic of considerable debate. While unconscious processing has been demonstrated for a range of low-level processes, from feature integration to simple forms of conditioning and learning, theoretical contributions suggest that increasing complexity requires conscious access. Here, we focus our attention on instrumental conditioning, which has been previously shown to proceed without stimulus awareness. Yet, instrumental conditioning also involves integrating information over a large temporal scale and distinct modalities in order to deploy selective action, constituting a process of substantial complexity. With this in mind, we revisit the question of feasibility of instrumental conditioning in the unconscious domain. Firstly, we address the theoretical and practical considerations relevant to unconscious learning in general. Secondly, we aim to replicate the first study to show instrumental conditioning in the absence of stimulus awareness (Pessiglione et al., 2008), following the original design and supplementing the original crucial analyses with a Bayesian approach (Experiment 1). We found that apparent unconscious learning took place when replicating the original methods directly and according to the tests of awareness used. However, we could not establish that the full sample was unaware in a separate awareness check. We therefore attempted to replicate the effect yet again with improved methods to address the issues related to sensitivity and immediacy (Experiment 2), including an individual threshold-setting task and a trial-by-trial awareness check permitting exclusion of individual aware trials. Here, we found evidence for absence of unconscious learning. This result provides evidence that instrumental conditioning did not occur without stimulus awareness in this paradigm, supporting the view that complex forms of learning may rely on conscious access. Our results provides support for the proposal that perceptual consciousness may be necessary for complex, flexible processes, especially where selective action and behavioural adaptation are required.
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35
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Zher-Wen, Yu R. Unconscious integration: Current evidence for integrative processing under subliminal conditions. Br J Psychol 2023; 114:430-456. [PMID: 36689339 DOI: 10.1111/bjop.12631] [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: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Integrative processing is traditionally believed to be dependent on consciousness. While earlier studies within the last decade reported many types of integration under subliminal conditions (i.e. without perceptual awareness), these findings are widely challenged recently. This review evaluates the current evidence for 10 types of subliminal integration that are widely studied: arithmetic processing, object-context integration, multi-word processing, same-different processing, multisensory integration and 5 different types of associative learning. Potential methodological issues concerning awareness measures are also taken into account. It is concluded that while there is currently no reliable evidence for subliminal integration, this does not necessarily refute 'unconscious' integration defined through non-subliminal (e.g. implicit) approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zher-Wen
- Department of Management, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China.,Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore City, Singapore
| | - Rongjun Yu
- Department of Management, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
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36
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Fernández-Rubio G, Brattico E, Kotz SA, Kringelbach ML, Vuust P, Bonetti L. Magnetoencephalography recordings reveal the spatiotemporal dynamics of recognition memory for complex versus simple auditory sequences. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1272. [PMID: 36402843 PMCID: PMC9675809 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04217-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Auditory recognition is a crucial cognitive process that relies on the organization of single elements over time. However, little is known about the spatiotemporal dynamics underlying the conscious recognition of auditory sequences varying in complexity. To study this, we asked 71 participants to learn and recognize simple tonal musical sequences and matched complex atonal sequences while their brain activity was recorded using magnetoencephalography (MEG). Results reveal qualitative changes in neural activity dependent on stimulus complexity: recognition of tonal sequences engages hippocampal and cingulate areas, whereas recognition of atonal sequences mainly activates the auditory processing network. Our findings reveal the involvement of a cortico-subcortical brain network for auditory recognition and support the idea that stimulus complexity qualitatively alters the neural pathways of recognition memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gemma Fernández-Rubio
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University & The Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus/Aalborg, Aarhus, Denmark.
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
| | - Elvira Brattico
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University & The Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus/Aalborg, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Education, Psychology, Communication, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Sonja A Kotz
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Morten L Kringelbach
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University & The Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus/Aalborg, Aarhus, Denmark
- Centre for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing, Linacre College, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Vuust
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University & The Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus/Aalborg, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Leonardo Bonetti
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University & The Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus/Aalborg, Aarhus, Denmark
- Centre for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing, Linacre College, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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37
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The Ubiquitousness and Functional Roles of Evidence Accumulation. J Neurosci 2022; 42:8596-8598. [PMID: 36384961 PMCID: PMC9671572 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1557-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
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38
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Wahbeh H, Radin D, Cannard C, Delorme A. What if consciousness is not an emergent property of the brain? Observational and empirical challenges to materialistic models. Front Psychol 2022; 13:955594. [PMID: 36160593 PMCID: PMC9490228 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.955594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The nature of consciousness is considered one of science's most perplexing and persistent mysteries. We all know the subjective experience of consciousness, but where does it arise? What is its purpose? What are its full capacities? The assumption within today's neuroscience is that all aspects of consciousness arise solely from interactions among neurons in the brain. However, the origin and mechanisms of qualia (i.e., subjective or phenomenological experience) are not understood. David Chalmers coined the term "the hard problem" to describe the difficulties in elucidating the origins of subjectivity from the point of view of reductive materialism. We propose that the hard problem arises because one or more assumptions within a materialistic worldview are either wrong or incomplete. If consciousness entails more than the activity of neurons, then we can contemplate new ways of thinking about the hard problem. This review examines phenomena that apparently contradict the notion that consciousness is exclusively dependent on brain activity, including phenomena where consciousness appears to extend beyond the physical brain and body in both space and time. The mechanisms underlying these "non-local" properties are vaguely suggestive of quantum entanglement in physics, but how such effects might manifest remains highly speculative. The existence of these non-local effects appears to support the proposal that post-materialistic models of consciousness may be required to break the conceptual impasse presented by the hard problem of consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helané Wahbeh
- Research Department, Institute of Noetic Sciences, Petaluma, CA, United States
| | - Dean Radin
- Research Department, Institute of Noetic Sciences, Petaluma, CA, United States
| | - Cedric Cannard
- Research Department, Institute of Noetic Sciences, Petaluma, CA, United States
| | - Arnaud Delorme
- Research Department, Institute of Noetic Sciences, Petaluma, CA, United States
- Swartz Center for Computational Neuroscience, Institute of Neural Computation, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
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39
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Signorelli CM, Boils JD, Tagliazucchi E, Jarraya B, Deco G. From Brain-Body Function to Conscious Interactions. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 141:104833. [PMID: 36037978 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104833] [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: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
In this review, we discuss empirical results inspiring the introduction of a formal mathematical multilayer model for the biological neuroscience of conscious experience. First, we motivate the discussion through evidence regarding the dynamic brain. Second, we review different brain-body couplings associated with conscious experience and its potential role in driving brain dynamics. Third, we introduce the machinery of multilayer networks to account for several types of interactions in brain-body systems. Then, a multilayer structure consists of two main generalizations: a formal semantic to study biological systems, and an integrative account for several signatures and models of consciousness. Finally, under this framework, we define composition of layers to account for entangled features of brain-body systems related to conscious experience. As such, a multilayer mathematical framework is highly integrative and thus may be more complete than other models. In this short review, we discuss a variety of empirical results inspiring the introduction of a formal mathematical multilayer model for the biological neuroscience of conscious experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilo Miguel Signorelli
- Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, 7 Parks Rd, OxfordOX1 3QG, United Kingdom; Physiology of Cognition, GIGA-CRC In Vivo Imaging, Allée du 6 Août, 8 (B30), 4000 Sart Tilman, University of Liège, Belgium; Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, INSERM, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, NeuroSpin center, 91191 Gif/Yvette, France; Computational Neuroscience Group, Center for Brain and Cognition, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Joaquín Díaz Boils
- Universidad Internacional de La Rioja, Avda La Paz, 137, Logroño, La Rioja, Spain
| | - Enzo Tagliazucchi
- Physics Department, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Bechir Jarraya
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, INSERM, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, NeuroSpin center, 91191 Gif/Yvette, France
| | - Gustavo Deco
- Computational Neuroscience Group, Center for Brain and Cognition, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
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Berkovitch L, Gaillard R, Abdel-Ahad P, Smadja S, Gauthier C, Attali D, Beaucamps H, Plaze M, Pessiglione M, Vinckier F. Preserved Unconscious Processing in Schizophrenia: The Case of Motivation. Schizophr Bull 2022; 48:1094-1103. [PMID: 35751516 PMCID: PMC9434445 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbac076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS Motivation deficit is a hallmark of schizophrenia that has a strong impact on their daily life. An alteration of reward processing has been repeatedly highlighted in schizophrenia, but to what extent it involves a deficient amplification of reward representation through conscious processing remains unclear. Indeed, patients with schizophrenia exhibit a disruption of conscious processing, whereas unconscious processing appears to be largely preserved. STUDY DESIGN To further explore the nature of motivational deficit in schizophrenia and the implication of consciousness disruption in this symptom, we used a masking paradigm testing motivation both under conscious and unconscious conditions in patients with schizophrenia (n = 31) and healthy controls (n = 32). Participants were exposed to conscious or subliminal coin pictures representing money at stake and were subsequently asked to perform an effort-task by squeezing a handgrip as hard as possible to win this reward. STUDY RESULTS We observed a preserved effect of unconscious monetary rewards on force production in both groups, without any significant difference between them. By contrast, in the conscious condition, patients with schizophrenia were less sensitive to rewards than controls. Our results confirm that unconscious incentives have effects on exerted forces in the general population, and demonstrate that patients with schizophrenia exhibit a dissociation between an impaired conscious motivation and a preserved unconscious motivation. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest the existence of several steps in motivational processes that can be differentially affected and might have implication for patient care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Berkovitch
- To whom correspondence should be addressed; Service Hospitalo-Universitaire, Pôle Hospitalo-Universitaire Psychiatrie Paris 15, GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Centre Hospitalier Sainte Anne, 1 rue Cabanis, 75014 Paris, France; tel: 0033145658867, fax: 0033145657689, e-mail:
| | - Raphaël Gaillard
- Université Paris Cité, F-75006 Paris, France,Department of Psychiatry, Service Hospitalo-Universitaire, GHU Paris Psychiatrie and Neurosciences, F-75014 Paris, France
| | - Pierre Abdel-Ahad
- Université Paris Cité, F-75006 Paris, France,Department of Psychiatry, Service Hospitalo-Universitaire, GHU Paris Psychiatrie and Neurosciences, F-75014 Paris, France
| | - Sarah Smadja
- Université Paris Cité, F-75006 Paris, France,Department of Psychiatry, Service Hospitalo-Universitaire, GHU Paris Psychiatrie and Neurosciences, F-75014 Paris, France
| | - Claire Gauthier
- Université Paris Cité, F-75006 Paris, France,Department of Psychiatry, Service Hospitalo-Universitaire, GHU Paris Psychiatrie and Neurosciences, F-75014 Paris, France
| | - David Attali
- Université Paris Cité, F-75006 Paris, France,Department of Psychiatry, Service Hospitalo-Universitaire, GHU Paris Psychiatrie and Neurosciences, F-75014 Paris, France
| | - Hadrien Beaucamps
- Université Paris Cité, F-75006 Paris, France,Department of Psychiatry, Service Hospitalo-Universitaire, GHU Paris Psychiatrie and Neurosciences, F-75014 Paris, France
| | - Marion Plaze
- Université Paris Cité, F-75006 Paris, France,Department of Psychiatry, Service Hospitalo-Universitaire, GHU Paris Psychiatrie and Neurosciences, F-75014 Paris, France
| | - Mathias Pessiglione
- Motivation, Brain and Behavior (MBB) Lab, Paris Brain Institute (ICM), Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, F-75013 Paris, France,Sorbonne University, Inserm, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Fabien Vinckier
- Université Paris Cité, F-75006 Paris, France,Department of Psychiatry, Service Hospitalo-Universitaire, GHU Paris Psychiatrie and Neurosciences, F-75014 Paris, France,Motivation, Brain and Behavior (MBB) Lab, Paris Brain Institute (ICM), Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, F-75013 Paris, France
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41
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Mediano PAM, Rosas FE, Bor D, Seth AK, Barrett AB. The strength of weak integrated information theory. Trends Cogn Sci 2022; 26:646-655. [PMID: 35659757 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2022.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The integrated information theory of consciousness (IIT) is divisive: while some believe it provides an unprecedentedly powerful approach to address the 'hard problem', others dismiss it on grounds that it is untestable. We argue that the appeal and applicability of IIT can be greatly widened if we distinguish two flavours of the theory: strong IIT, which identifies consciousness with specific properties associated with maxima of integrated information; and weak IIT, which tests pragmatic hypotheses relating aspects of consciousness to broader measures of information dynamics. We review challenges for strong IIT, explain how existing empirical findings are well explained by weak IIT without needing to commit to the entirety of strong IIT, and discuss the outlook for both flavours of IIT.
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Affiliation(s)
- 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
- Centre for Psychedelic Research, Imperial College London, London, UK; Data Science Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK; Centre for Complexity Science, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Daniel Bor
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Department of Psychology, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Anil K Seth
- Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, Department of Informatics, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK; CIFAR Program on Brain, Mind, and Consciousness, Toronto, Canada
| | - Adam B Barrett
- Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, Department of Informatics, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK; The Data Intensive Science Centre, Department of Informatics, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK.
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42
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Abstract
The brain’s ability to create a unified conscious representation of an object by integrating information from multiple perception pathways is called perceptual binding. Binding is crucial for normal cognitive function. Some perceptual binding errors and disorders have been linked to certain neurological conditions, brain lesions, and conditions that give rise to illusory conjunctions. However, the mechanism of perceptual binding remains elusive. Here, I present a computational model of binding using two sets of coupled oscillatory processes that are assumed to occur in response to two different percepts. I use the model to study the dynamic behavior of coupled processes to characterize how these processes can modulate each other and reach a temporal synchrony. I identify different oscillatory dynamic regimes that depend on coupling mechanisms and parameter values. The model can also discriminate different combinations of initial inputs that are set by initial states of coupled processes. Decoding brain signals that are formed through perceptual binding is a challenging task, but my modeling results demonstrate how crosstalk between two systems of processes can possibly modulate their outputs. Therefore, my mechanistic model can help one gain a better understanding of how crosstalk between perception pathways can affect the dynamic behavior of the systems that involve perceptual binding.
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43
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Munoz Musat E, Rohaut B, Sangare A, Benhaiem JM, Naccache L. Hypnotic Induction of Deafness to Elementary Sounds: An Electroencephalography Case-Study and a Proposed Cognitive and Neural Scenario. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:756651. [PMID: 35368254 PMCID: PMC8969744 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.756651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypnosis can be conceived as a unique opportunity to explore how top-down effects can influence various conscious and non-conscious processes. In the field of perception, such modulatory effects have been described in distinct sensory modalities. In the present study we focused on the auditory channel and aimed at creating a radical deafness to elementary sounds by a specific hypnotic suggestion. We report here a single case-study in a highly suggestible healthy volunteer who reported a total hypnotically suggested deafness. We recorded high-density scalp EEG during an auditory odd-ball paradigm before and after hypnotic deafness suggestion. While both early auditory event-related potentials to sounds (P1) and mismatch negativity component were not affected by hypnotic deafness, we observed a total disappearance of the late P3 complex component when the subject reported being deaf. Moreover, a centro-mesial positivity was present exclusively during the hypnotic condition prior to the P3 complex. Interestingly, source localization suggested an anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) origin of this neural event. Multivariate decoding analyses confirmed and specified these findings. Resting state analyses confirmed a similar level of conscious state in both conditions, and suggested a functional disconnection between auditory areas and other cortical areas. Taken together these results suggest the following plausible scenario: (i) preserved early processing of auditory information unaffected by hypnotic suggestion, (ii) conscious setting of an inhibitory process (ACC) preventing conscious access to sounds, (iii) functional disconnection between the modular and unconscious representations of sounds and global neuronal workspace. This single subject study presents several limits that are discussed and remains open to alternative interpretations. This original proof-of-concept paves the way to a larger study that will test the predictions stemming from our theoretical model and from this first report.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esteban Munoz Musat
- INSERM U1127, CNRS 7225, Paris Brain Institute, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
- *Correspondence: Esteban Munoz Musat, ,
| | - Benjamin Rohaut
- INSERM U1127, CNRS 7225, Paris Brain Institute, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
- Department of Neurology, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Aude Sangare
- INSERM U1127, CNRS 7225, Paris Brain Institute, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | | | - Lionel Naccache
- INSERM U1127, CNRS 7225, Paris Brain Institute, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
- Department of Neurophysiology, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
- Lionel Naccache,
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44
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Voluntary auditory change: First-person access to agentive aspects of attention regulation. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-021-02662-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
AbstractIn perceptual psychology, audition and introspection have not yet received as much attention as other topics (e.g., vision) and methods (third-person paradigms). Practical examples and theoretical considerations show that it nevertheless seems promising to treat both topics in conjunction to gain insights into basic structures of attention regulation and respective agentive awareness. To this end, an empirical study on voluntary auditory change was conducted with a non-reactive first-person design. Data were analyzed with a mixed methods approach and compared with an analogous study on visual reversal. Qualitative hierarchical coding and explorative statistics yield a cross-modal replication of frequency patterns of mental activity as well as significant differences between the modalities. On this basis, the role of mental agency in perception is refined in terms of different levels of intention and discussed in the context of the philosophical mental action debate as well as of the Global Workspace/Working Memory account. As a main result, this work suggests the existence and structure of a gradual and developable agentive attention awareness on which voluntary attention regulation can build, and which justifies speaking, in a certain sense, of attentional self-perception.
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45
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Di Gregorio F, Maier ME, Steinhauser M. Early correlates of error-related brain activity predict subjective timing of error awareness. Psychophysiology 2022; 59:e14020. [PMID: 35141912 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Humans are remarkably reliable in detecting errors in their behavior. Whereas error awareness has been assumed to emerge not until 200-400 ms after an error, the so-called early error sensations refer to the subjective feeling of having detected an error even before the erroneous response was executed. Here, we collected electroencephalogram (EEG) to track how early error sensations are reflected in neural correlates of performance monitoring. Participants first had to perform a task, and then had to indicate whether an error has occurred and whether this error was detected before or after response execution. EEG results showed that early error sensations were associated with an earlier peak of the error-related negativity (Ne/ERN), a component of error-related brain activity that occurs briefly after the error response. This demonstrates that early error-related activity influences metacognitive judgments on the time course of error awareness, and thus contributes to error awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Di Gregorio
- UO Medicina Riabilitativa e Neuroriabilitazione, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale, Bologna, Italy.,Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Eichstätt, Germany
| | - Martin E Maier
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Eichstätt, Germany
| | - Marco Steinhauser
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Eichstätt, Germany
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46
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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: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [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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47
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Gros C. Emotions as Abstract Evaluation Criteria in Biological and Artificial Intelligences. Front Comput Neurosci 2022; 15:726247. [PMID: 34970130 PMCID: PMC8712665 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2021.726247] [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: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological as well as advanced artificial intelligences (AIs) need to decide which goals to pursue. We review nature's solution to the time allocation problem, which is based on a continuously readjusted categorical weighting mechanism we experience introspectively as emotions. One observes phylogenetically that the available number of emotional states increases hand in hand with the cognitive capabilities of animals and that raising levels of intelligence entail ever larger sets of behavioral options. Our ability to experience a multitude of potentially conflicting feelings is in this view not a leftover of a more primitive heritage, but a generic mechanism for attributing values to behavioral options that can not be specified at birth. In this view, emotions are essential for understanding the mind. For concreteness, we propose and discuss a framework which mimics emotions on a functional level. Based on time allocation via emotional stationarity (TAES), emotions are implemented as abstract criteria, such as satisfaction, challenge and boredom, which serve to evaluate activities that have been carried out. The resulting timeline of experienced emotions is compared with the “character” of the agent, which is defined in terms of a preferred distribution of emotional states. The long-term goal of the agent, to align experience with character, is achieved by optimizing the frequency for selecting individual tasks. Upon optimization, the statistics of emotion experience becomes stationary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudius Gros
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt, Germany
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48
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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: 1.5] [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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Majeed R. The “puzzle” of emotional plasticity. PHILOSOPHICAL PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/09515089.2021.2002293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Raamy Majeed
- Lecturer in Philosophy Department of Philosophy, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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Revach D, Salti M. Expanding the discussion: Revision of the fundamental assumptions framing the study of the neural correlates of consciousness. Conscious Cogn 2021; 96:103229. [PMID: 34749156 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2021.103229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 10/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The way one asks a question is shaped by a-priori assumptions and constrains the range of possible answers. We identify and test the assumptions underlying contemporary debates, models, and methodology in the study of the neural correlates of consciousness, which was framed by Crick and Koch's seminal paper (1990). These premises create a sequential and passive conception of conscious perception: it is considered the product of resolved information processing by unconscious mechanisms, produced by a singular event in time and place representing the moment of entry. The conscious percept produced is then automatically retained to be utilized by post-conscious mechanisms. Major debates in the field, such as concern the moment of entry, the all-or-none vs graded nature, and report vs no-report paradigms, are driven by the consensus on these assumptions. We show how removing these assumptions can resolve some of the debates and challenges and prompt additional questions. The potential non-sequential nature of perception suggests new ways of thinking about consciousness as a dynamic and dispersed process, and in turn about the relationship between conscious and unconscious perception. Moreover, it allows us to present a parsimonious account for conscious perception while addressing more aspects of the phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Revach
- Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel.
| | - Moti Salti
- Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
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