A caveat regarding the unfolding argument: implications of plasticity.
Vikas O'Reilly-Shah, Alessandro Maria Selvitella, Aaron Schurger
Neuroscience of Consciousness 2026 DOI: 10.1093/nc/niag027 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Neuroplasticity |
| Keywords | Takens’ theorem Consciousness Dynamical systems Feedforward neural networks Information theory Recurrent neural networks Unfolding argument |
| Key points | Proposes that rapid plasticity in recurrent neural networks negates the functional equivalence between recurrent and feedforward networks, thereby undermining the unfolding argument against causal structure theories of consciousness. |
Abstract
The unfolding argument in the neuroscience of consciousness posits that causal structure cannot account for consciousness because any recurrent neural network (RNN) can be "unfolded" into a functionally equivalent feedforward neural network (FNN) with identical input-output behavior. Subsequent debate has focused on dynamical properties and philosophy of science critiques. We examine a boundary condition on the unfolding argument for RNN systems with rapid plasticity in their connection weights. We demonstrate through rigorous mathematical proofs that rapid plasticity negates the functional equivalence between the RNN and the FNN. Our proofs address history-dependent plasticity, dynamical systems analysis, information-theoretic considerations, perturbational stability, complexity growth, and resource limitations. We demonstrate that neuronal systems that possess properties such as plasticity, history dependence, and complex temporal information encoding have features that cannot be captured by a static FNN. We show that plasticity is a concrete instance of lenient dependency between behavioral and internal observables, restoring empirical testability to theories that incorporate plasticity on perception-relevant timescales. Our results do not establish that recurrence, plasticity, or process are necessary for consciousness; they establish that the unfolding argument does not preclude empirical investigation of whether these properties matter.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on neuroplasticity, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Dendrite-Focused Framework for Understanding the Actions of Ketamine and Psychedelics | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Does Psychedelic Therapy Have a Transdiagnostic Action and Prophylactic Potential? | 2021 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| A complex systems perspective on psychedelic brain action. | 2023 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Critical Period Plasticity as a Framework for Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy | 2021 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Therapeutic mechanisms of psychedelics and entactogens. | 2023 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cites 20
- A Theoretically Based Index of Consciousness Independent of Sensory Processing and Behavior Science Translational Medicine August 14, 2013
- Theories of consciousness. Nature Reviews Neuroscience July 1, 2022
- Stratification of unresponsive patients by an independently validated index of brain complexity Annals of Neurology September 22, 2016
- The strength of weak integrated information theory Trends in Cognitive Sciences June 1, 2022
- Critical dynamics in spontaneous EEG predict anesthetic-induced loss of consciousness and perturbational complexity. Communications Biology August 5, 2024
and 15 more in the library