The signatures of conscious access and its phenomenology are consistent with large-scale brain communication at criticality.
Consciousness and Cognition October 2017 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2017.08.008 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or computational modeling paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | Complexity Conscious access Criticality Modeling |
| Key points | The authors propose that conscious access corresponds to self-sustained percolation in an anatomical network, and that integrated information (Φ) is maximal at the critical threshold. They argue this supports a link between information integration and conscious access, identify a posterior hotspot of high information sharing, and show that competitive activity spreading qualitatively reproduces backward masking and binocular rivalry results. |
Abstract
Conscious awareness refers to information processing in the brain that is accompanied by subjective, reportable experiences. Current models of conscious access propose that sufficiently strong sensory stimuli ignite a global network of regions allowing further processing. The immense number of possible experiences indicates that activity associated with conscious awareness must be highly differentiated. However, information must also be integrated to account for the unitary nature of consciousness. We present a computational model that identifies conscious access with self-sustained percolation in an anatomical network. We show that the amount of integrated information (Φ) is maximal at the critical threshold. To the extent that self-sustained percolation relates to conscious access, the model supports a link between information integration and conscious access. We also identify a posterior "hotspot" of regions presenting high levels of information sharing. Finally, competitive activity spreading qualitatively describes the results of paradigms such as backward masking and binocular rivalry.
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Citations in the library
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Cites 22
- An information integration theory of consciousness BMC Neuroscience November 2, 2004
- Neural correlates of consciousness: progress and problems Nature Reviews Neuroscience April 20, 2016
- A Theoretically Based Index of Consciousness Independent of Sensory Processing and Behavior Science Translational Medicine August 14, 2013
- Ongoing Cortical Activity at Rest: Criticality, Multistability, and Ghost Attractors Journal of Neuroscience March 7, 2012
- Two neural correlates of consciousness Trends in Cognitive Sciences January 13, 2005
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