The evolutionary origins of the Global Neuronal Workspace in vertebrates.

The Global Neuronal Workspace theory, which links consciousness to cognitive functions like perception and memory, aligns with the Unlimited Associative Learning theory that describes minimal consciousness. However, applying these models to basal vertebrates requires significant adjustments based on brain evolution. Comparative evidence indicates that in these vertebrates, the workspace is implemented by the event memory system in the hippocampal homolog. This offers testable predictions about hippocampal and cortical roles, the evolutionary link between memory and consciousness, and the development of unified perception.

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Abstract

The Global Neuronal Workspace theory of consciousness offers an explicit functional architecture that relates consciousness to cognitive abilities such as perception, attention, memory, and evaluation. We show that the functional architecture of the Global Neuronal Workspace, which is based mainly on human studies, corresponds to the cognitive-affective architecture proposed by the Unlimited Associative Learning theory that describes minimal consciousness. However, we suggest that when applied to basal vertebrates, both models require important modifications to accommodate what has been learned about the evolution of the vertebrate brain. Most importantly, comparative studies suggest that in basal vertebrates, the Global Neuronal Workspace is instantiated by the event memory system found in the hippocampal homolog. This proposal has testable predictions and implications for understanding hippocampal and cortical functions, the evolutionary relations between memory and consciousness, and the evolution of unified perception.