Distinct frontal lobe subregions mediate the emergence and reporting of visual consciousness.
Yan Zhang, Xiarong Li, Zhenlan Jin, Junjun Zhang, Ling Li
Neuroimage July 1, 2026 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2026.121964 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study combining EEG with eye-tracking in Report and No-Report paradigms Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Keywords | Dan Fpn Frontal lobe No-report paradigm Visual consciousness |
| Key findings | The frontal Dorsal Attention Network supports the emergence of visual consciousness independent of reporting, while the Default Mode Network and Frontoparietal Control Network are involved only in explicit reporting of consciousness. |
Abstract
Persistent debate surrounds whether the frontal lobe supports the emergence or reporting of consciousness, raising the hypothesis that distinct frontal subregions may support these processes. We addressed this by combining electroencephalography (EEG) with eye-tracking in Report and No-Report paradigms. Eye-movement features distinguished conscious and unconscious trials in the no-report task. Event-related potential analyses showed that the Visual Awareness Negativity (VAN) was independent of reporting, whereas P3b occurred only with explicit reports. Importantly, the frontal Dorsal Attention Network (DAN) supported the emergence of consciousness, independent of post-perceptual reporting, as shown by multivoxel pattern analysis showing that a classifier's ability to decode visual consciousness generalized bidirectionally between report and no-report tasks. In contrast, frontal components of the Default Mode Network (DMN) and Frontoparietal Control Network (FPN) encoded visual consciousness only when explicit reports were required, indicating roles in reporting. These findings demonstrate a functional dissociation within the frontal lobe and refine the anatomical framework for the neural basis of visual consciousness.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Functional connectivity of default mode network components: Correlation, anticorrelation, and causality Healthy subjects | 2008 | Observational study using resting-state fMRI and seed correlation analysis | |
| Patterns of Brain Activity Supporting Autobiographical Memory, Prospection, and Theory of Mind, and Their Relationship to the Default Mode Network Healthy subjects | 2009 | Experimental study using fMRI | |
| Dynamic reconfiguration of the default mode network during narrative comprehension Human subjects | 2016 | Experimental study | |
| Broadband Cortical Desynchronization Underlies the Human Psychedelic State Healthy human participants | 2013 | Experimental study | |
| The brain on art: intense aesthetic experience activates the default mode network Human observers | 2012 | Observational study with fMRI and behavioral analysis |
Citations in the library
Cites 26
- Neural correlates of consciousness: progress and problems Nature Reviews Neuroscience April 20, 2016
- Consciousness as Integrated Information: a Provisional Manifesto Biological Bulletin December 1, 2008
- Theories of consciousness. Nature Reviews Neuroscience July 1, 2022
- Resting-state Network-specific Breakdown of Functional Connectivity during Ketamine Alteration of Consciousness in Volunteers Anesthesiology August 9, 2016
- ERP and MEG correlates of visual consciousness: The second decade. Consciousness and Cognition April 1, 2020
and 21 more in the library