The neuroscientist Christof Koch emphasized that understanding the neuronal basic of consciousness is essential for both philosophical research and critical medical decision making. | Photo credit: Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters
The concion is in the center of human existence, the ability to see, listen, dream, imagine, feel pain or pleasure, fear, love and more. But where does this reside precisely in the brain? That is a question that has long confused scientists and doctors. A new study offers a new vision.
In a search to identify the parts of the brain that support consciousness, neuroscientists measured the electrical and magnetic activity, as well as the blood flow flow in the brains of 256 people in 12 laboratories in the United States, Europe and China, while the separate view vari. Measurements tracked activation in various parts of the brain.
The researchers found that consciousness may not arise in the “intelligent” part of the brain, the frontal areas where thought is, which grew progressive in the process of human evolution, but in the sensory area in the back of the brain.
“Why is this important?” The Neuroscientist Christof Koch or the Allen Institute in Seattle, one of the leaders of the study published this week in Nature magazine.
“If we want to underline the substrate of consciousness, who has it: adults, prelimist child, a fetus of the second quarter, a dog, a mouse, a squid, a crow, a fly, we need to identify the underlying mechanisms, said Forest Koch.
The subjects in the study were images of people’s faces and several objects.
“Consciousness is the way it feels like seeing a drawing of a toaster or Jill’s face. Consciousness is not the same as the behavior associated with this feeling, for example, pressing a button or saying:” I see Jill, “Koch said.
The researchers tried two leading scientific theories about consciousness.
The results interrupt the global neuronal work space theory
Under the theory of global neuronal work space, consciousness materializes in the front of the brain, with important pieces of information that are broadly transmitted through the brain. According to integrated information theory, consciousness emanates from the interaction and cooperation of various parts of the brain as they work collectively to integrate the information experienced concentically.
The findings did not quad with any of the theories.
“Where are the neuronal footprints of consciousness in the brain? Very cruldy, are in the front of the cortex, the outermost layer of the brain, such as the prefrontal cortex, as predicted by the theory of global neuronal work space?” Koch asked.
It is this prefrontal cortex that makes species unique human, promote cognitive processes of higher order such as planning, decision -making, reasons, personality expression and modiator social behavior.
“Or are the traces in the rear regions of the cortex, the posterior cortex?” Koch asked. The posterior cortex houses the regions where hearing and vision processing occurs.
“Here, the evidence is decidedly in favor of the posterior cortex. Any of the people related to the conscious experience cannot be found in the front or was much weaker than in the back. This supports the idea that although the frontal lobes are critical for intelligence, judgment, reasoning, etc., they are not critically involved in seeing, in the conscious visual presentation,” Koch said.
However, the study did not identify enough connections that last a long time than the conscious experience in the back of the brain to defend the integrated information theory.
There are practical applications to obtain a deeper understanding of the mechanics of consciousness in the brain.
Implications could transform care for patients with coma
Koch Said It Would Be Important for How Doctors Deal With Patients In A Coma or Patients In A Vegetative State Or with a Resprovere Wakefulness Syndrome, When they are awake but present no sign of Awareness Due to Traumatic Brain Injury Othery Othery Othery Drug Injury, a Drug Injury, Drug Injury, Drug Injury, Drug Injury, Drug Injury, Drug Injury, Drug Injury, Drug Injury Orphería, an orberia of drug injuries, injuries or other orpheries or other people, injuries, injuries.
“If the patient remains in this state that does not support for more than a few days without recovery signs, the clinical team begins the discussion with the family,” is this what they would have wanted? “” Koch said.
Or such patients, 70% to 90% die because a decision has been made to withdraw the treatment of life maintenance.
“However, we now know that about a quarter of patients in coma or vegetative status/unanswered vigil syndrome are conscious, undercover consciousness, but they cannot indicate this next to the bed, said jeal, refern, reference medicine.” “Knowing the traces of consciousness in the brain will allow us to better detect this way of” being there “without pointing.”
Posted on May 2, 2025
