Changes in neural complexity during the perception of 3D images using random dot stereograms.
Adrian P. Burgess, Joseph Rehman, John D Williams
International journal of psychophysiology : official journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology April 2003 DOI: 10.1016/s0167-8760(03)00002-3 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Participants shown random dot-stereograms |
| Key findings | Neural complexity increased when participants consciously perceived the hidden 3D image in a random dot-stereogram, supporting the dynamic core hypothesis. |
Abstract
One developing theme in consciousness research is that consciousness is not the product of any specific component of the brain, rather it is an emergent property of the changing patterns of connectivity between different specialised functional components. For example, the dynamic core hypothesis proposes that conscious experience requires high levels of neural complexity, where complexity is defined in terms of functional connectivity. To test this hypothesis, electroencephalography was recorded while participants were shown random dot-stereograms. Consistent with the dynamic core hypothesis, neural complexity increased as the participants changed from simply viewing the stereogram to consciously perceiving the hidden 3D image.