An active role of inferior frontal cortex in conscious experience.
Current biology : CB July 12, 2021 Veith Weilnhammer, Merve Fritsch, Meera Chikermane et al.
Inferior frontal cortex plays a causal role in resolving perceptual ambiguities, thereby determining what is consciously experienced. Computational modeling and two fMRI experiments showed that this region detects conflicts caused by ambiguous sensory information. Disrupting inferior frontal cortex activity with transcranial magnetic stimulation slowed the updating of conscious experience in response to such conflicts. These findings indicate that prefrontal cortex is not merely involved in introspection or action but actively contributes to shaping the contents of consciousness.