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The prefrontal cortex and sensory areas are functionally linked in neuroscientific theories of consciousness, with researchers testing their connectivity and causal interactions via manipulation and decoding experiments as described in [1], [2], and [3]. These regions are compared to evaluate predictions from theories like GNWT and IIT regarding where conscious content is encoded and how these areas communicate, as detailed in [4], [5], and [6].
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Protocol for testing global neuronal workspace and integrated ... journals.plos.org 18 facts
claimIntegrated Information Theory (IIT) predicts that above-chance decoding of conscious content will persist in the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) and/or sensory regions during the stimulus onset window, even if the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is manipulated.
procedureTo test the location of conscious content, the researchers will assess average decoding performance in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), posterior parietal cortex (PPC), and content-dependent sensory regions during the stimulus onset window (250–500 ms post-stimulus for NHPs; 150–400 ms post-stimulus for mice) and the stimulus duration window.
procedureThe researchers will manipulate prefrontal cortex activity on a subset of trials to determine if the prefrontal cortex is required for stimulus decodability in the posterior parietal cortex and sensory regions.
procedureIn the testing protocol, a Bayes Factor (BF) greater than 10 is interpreted as strong evidence for hypothesis H1, which posits that decoding performance in the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) and/or sensory regions is greater than chance following prefrontal cortex (PFC) manipulation. A Bayes Factor less than 1/10 is interpreted as evidence for hypothesis H0, which posits that decoding performance is equal to chance after prefrontal cortex manipulation.
procedureThe researchers will test connectivity predictions by analyzing content-specific spike-LFP phase synchrony within and between the prefrontal cortex, posterior parietal cortex, and sensory regions to identify long- or short-range synchrony.
procedureTo test the Integrated Information Theory (IIT) prediction that conscious content is maximally encoded in the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) and/or sensory regions rather than the prefrontal cortex (PFC), researchers compare average decoding performance between these regions within the stimulus duration window.
claimIntegrated Information Theory (IIT) predicts stronger decoding of conscious content in the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) and/or sensory regions than in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) during the stimulus duration window.
claimGlobal Neuronal Workspace Theory (GNWT) predicts increased connectivity from pre-stimulus to stimulus onset between the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and posterior parietal cortex (PPC), and between the PFC/PPC and sensory regions.
claimGlobal Neuronal Workspace Theory (GNWT) predicts increased functional connectivity between the prefrontal cortex (PFC), posterior parietal cortex (PPC), and sensory regions during ignition post-stimulus onset and offset.
claimIntegrated Information Theory (IIT) requires that decoding performance in the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) and/or sensory regions remains greater than chance following prefrontal cortex (PFC) manipulation to be considered a successful test result.
procedureTo test whether the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is required for consciousness, researchers assess whether average decoding performance differs during PFC manipulation trials compared to no-manipulation trials in the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) and sensory regions within the stimulus onset time window.
claimThe neural predictions tested in this study are not unique to Global Neuronal Workspace Theory (GNWT) or Integrated Information Theory (IIT), as higher-order theories implicate the prefrontal cortex, while re-entry theories emphasize the role of the posterior parietal cortex and sensory regions.
procedureThe researchers assess the location-based predictions of consciousness theories by testing whether activity in the prefrontal cortex, posterior parietal cortex, and sensory regions can decode task-irrelevant or non-target stimuli.
claimFor Integrated Information Theory (IIT) to pass the experimental test, evidence must show that decoder performance is higher in the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) and/or sensory regions than in the prefrontal cortex (PFC).
claimIntegrated Information Theory (IIT) predicts that decoding from the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) and/or sensory regions is not obliterated by prefrontal cortex (PFC) manipulation.
procedureTo test the timing of neural activity, the researchers will measure stimulus decoding in the prefrontal cortex, posterior parietal cortex, and sensory regions using a moving temporal window across the duration of the stimulus presentation.
claimThe Global Neuronal Workspace Theory (GNWT) requires that pairwise phase consistency increases to be greater than baseline during the stimulus onset window in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and posterior parietal cortex (PPC) pair, the PFC and sensory regions pair, and the PPC and sensory regions pair to pass its testing protocol.
procedureThe researchers plan to test Question 1 causally by directly manipulating activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and assessing whether activity and stimulus decodability is modulated in the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) and sensory regions (a prediction of Global Neuronal Workspace Theory) or persists without being obliterated in the PPC and/or sensory regions (a prediction of Integrated Information Theory).