Integrated information theory (IIT) and the testability of the silent neuron predictions
Neuroscience of Consciousness January 17, 2026 Sergio Ponce de Leon, Jeff Yoshimi
Abstract Integrated information theory (IIT) makes two predictions about the role of inactive neurons in consciousness. According to the silent brain (SB) prediction, rendering all active neurons inactive (“silent”) in the physical substrate of consciousness (the “main complex”) does not eliminate the presence of consciousness, because the neurons are still able to spike. According to the...