EEG oscillatory states as neuro-phenomenology of consciousness as revealed from patients in vegetative and minimally conscious states.
Alexander A Fingelkurts, Andrew A Fingelkurts, Sergio Bagnato, Cristina Boccagni, Giuseppe Galardi
Consciousness and Cognition March 1, 2012 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2011.10.004 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Brain-damaged patients with disorders of consciousness and healthy-conscious subjects |
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Citations | 91 |
| Key findings | The repertoire, duration, and oscillatory type of EEG microstates in resting conditions quantitatively relate to the level of consciousness expression, with specific microstate patterns distinguishing aware from unaware states. |
Abstract
The value of resting electroencephalogram (EEG) in revealing neural constitutes of consciousness (NCC) was examined. We quantified the dynamic repertoire, duration and oscillatory type of EEG microstates in eyes-closed rest in relation to the degree of expression of clinical self-consciousness. For NCC a model was suggested that contrasted normal, severely disturbed state of consciousness and state without consciousness. Patients with disorders of consciousness were used. Results suggested that the repertoire, duration and oscillatory type of EEG microstates in resting condition quantitatively related to the level of consciousness expression in brain-damaged patients and healthy-conscious subjects. Specifically, results demonstrated that (a) decreased number of EEG microstate types was associated with altered states of consciousness, (b) unawareness was associated with the lack of diversity in EEG alpha-rhythmic microstates, and (c) the probability for the occurrence and duration of delta-, theta- and slow-alpha-rhythmic microstates were associated with unawareness, whereas the probability for the occurrence and duration of fast-alpha-rhythmic microstates were associated with consciousness. In conclusion, resting EEG has a potential value in revealing NCC. This work may have implications for clinical care and medical-legal decisions in patients with disorders of consciousness.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on philosophy of mind, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The phenomenology of near-death experiences Subjects who reported near-death experiences | 1980 | Retrospective study | n = 78 |
| Visual Phenomenology of the LSD Flashback Persons with a history of LSD use | 1983 | Observational cohort | n = 123 |
| The neurophenomenology of neutral hypnosis. Individuals of high, medium, and low hypnotizability | 2013 | Observational cohort | n = 37 |
| The Phenomenology of Acute Organic Psychosis Patients with acute organic psychosis and acute schizophrenics | 1987 | Observational cohort | n = 148 |
| Trips and neurotransmitters: Discovering principled patterns across 6850 hallucinogenic experiences. Individuals who provided free-form testimonials about 27 drugs | 2022 | Observational study | n = 6,850 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 8
- On the Hierarchical Organization of Oscillatory Assemblies: Layered Superimposition and a Global Bioelectric Framework. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2019
- Macrostate and Microstate of EEG Spatio-Temporal Nonlinear Dynamics in Zen Meditation Journal of Behavioral and Brain Science 2017
- Acute Effects of Esketamine on the EEG Power Spectrum and Signal Complexity in Prolonged Disorders of Consciousness: A Prospective Exploratory Cohort Study. Journal of neurosurgical anesthesiology June 15, 2026
- Trait-like stability of selfhood triumvirate and its constituent aspects: A qEEG intra-individual test-retest reliability study. Consciousness and Cognition March 1, 2026
- The Consciousness States in the Light of Neuroscience Annales Universitatis Mariae Curie-Skłodowska sectio J – Paedagogia-Psychologia August 20, 2018
and 3 more in the library
Cites 16
- Detecting Awareness in the Vegetative State Science September 7, 2006
- An information integration theory of consciousness BMC Neuroscience November 2, 2004
- Consciousness as Integrated Information: a Provisional Manifesto Biological Bulletin December 1, 2008
- The Remembered Present: A Biological Theory of Consciousness JAMA October 3, 1990
- Brain-mind operational architectonics imaging: technical and methodological aspects. The open neuroimaging journal August 29, 2008
and 11 more in the library