Human visual consciousness involves large scale cortical and subcortical networks independent of task report and eye movement activity

Abstract

The full neural circuits of conscious perception remain unknown. Using a visual perception task, we directly recorded a subcortical thalamic awareness potential (TAP). We also developed a unique paradigm to classify perceived versus not perceived stimuli using eye measurements to remove confounding signals related to reporting on conscious experiences. Using fMRI, we discovered three major brain networks driving conscious visual perception independent of report: first, increases in signal detection regions in visual, fusiform cortex, and frontal eye fields; and in arousal/salience networks involving midbrain, thalamus, nucleus accumbens, anterior cingulate, and anterior insula; second, increases in frontoparietal attention and executive control networks and in the cerebellum; finally, decreases in the default mode network. These results were largely maintained after excluding eye movement-based fMRI changes. Our findings provide evidence that the neurophysiology of consciousness is complex even without overt report, involving multiple cortical and subcortical networks overlapping in space and time.

The involvement of the human prefrontal cortex in the emergence of visual awareness

“…In addition, a recent electrophysiological study of rhesus monkeys using the no-report paradigm also found that even without the requirement of explicit reporting, awareness-related neurons can still be found in the lateral prefrontal cortex of rhesus monkeys, and conscious content can be accurately decoded by the MVPA method 36 . Another human fMRI study also found similar results 17 . These results supported our experimental results.…”

“…There is growing evidence showing that conscious experience may be represented at the brain network level 17,21 . Thanks to the simultaneously recorded LFP data in multiple brain regions with a high signal-to-noise ratio and high spatial-temporal resolution, we can analyze the dynamic functional connectivity changes under the aware and unaware conditions at the millisecond scale.…”

“…Although fMRI research can detect the whole brain activation pattern, it is difficult to describe the dynamic changes and sequences of different brain regions in the rapid process of visual awareness due to its limited time resolution (approximately several seconds). For example, even though a recent fMRI study using the no-reported paradigm found that there are still visual awareness-related activities in the PFC 17 , it remains unclear when these activities begin and whether PFC activity occurs earlier or later than other brain regions. At the same time, although EEG and MEG have a very high temporal resolution, their low spatial resolution and low signal-to-noise ratio limit their interpretation of awareness-related activities, especially high-frequency activities (highly correlated with local population neuronal activities).…”

“…In addition, a few recent studies have suggested that awareness may be related to the activities of brain networks, including the PFC, rather than that of a single brain region. However, most of these brain network studies used noninvasive research methods 17,21 , and due to the limitations mentioned above, it is difficult to detect the dynamic changes in brain networks in a more precise spatial-temporal profile during the generation of visual awareness.…”

Transcranial Focused Ultrasound to V5 Enhances Human Visual Motion Brain-Computer Interface by Modulating Feature-Based Attention

“…N200 peak times are commonly found between 150 and 250 ms post onset [60][61][62][63] , so to get the onset of the wave, an earlier time window was used. However, this does lead to potential overlap with the N100 ERP 31 and the end of the window may overlap with the P300 ERP 64 . Visualization of the trial averages (Fig.…”