Consciousness depends on integration between parietal cortex, striatum and thalamus
Cell Systems March 12, 2021 M. Afrasiabi, Michelle J. Redinbaugh, Jessica M. Phillips et al.
The neural basis of consciousness remains unclear, with competing theories disagreeing on the roles of frontal versus posterior cortex and neglecting subcortical influences. To investigate, researchers recorded neural activity from frontal cortex, parietal cortex, striatum, and thalamus in macaques that were awake, sleeping, or anesthetized, and also used thalamic stimulation to rouse them from anesthesia. A measure capturing neural integration (Φ*) robustly correlated with changes in consciousness, unlike measures targeting complexity alone. Machine learning revealed that parietal cortex, striatum, and thalamus contributed more than frontal cortex to decoding consciousness states. These findings emphasize integration between parietal and subcortical structures and challenge a key role for frontal cortex in consciousness.