Consciousness and complexity

Science. 1998 Dec 4;282(5395):1846-51. doi: 10.1126/science.282.5395.1846.

Abstract

Conventional approaches to understanding consciousness are generally concerned with the contribution of specific brain areas or groups of neurons. By contrast, it is considered here what kinds of neural processes can account for key properties of conscious experience. Applying measures of neural integration and complexity, together with an analysis of extensive neurological data, leads to a testable proposal-the dynamic core hypothesis-about the properties of the neural substrate of consciousness.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Attention
  • Brain / physiology
  • Brain Mapping
  • Cerebral Cortex / physiology*
  • Consciousness*
  • Humans
  • Memory
  • Models, Neurological
  • Neural Pathways
  • Neurons / physiology*
  • Thalamus / physiology*