Subcortical correlates of consciousness with human single neuron recordings.
Michael Pereira, Nathan Faivre, Fosco Bernasconi, Nicholas Brandmeir, Jacob E Suffridge, Kaylee Tran, Shuo Wang, Victor Finomore, Peter Konrad, Ali Rezai, Olaf Blanke
eLife May 22, 2025 DOI: 10.7554/eLife.95272 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractNeurons in the subthalamic nucleus and thalamus, subcortical brain regions traditionally linked to motor and cognitive control, also play a role in perceptual consciousness. Recording single-neuron activity in patients undergoing deep brain stimulation surgery, researchers found that a significant proportion of these neurons changed their firing rate while participants anticipated a weak vibrotactile stimulus. The firing rate of 23% of these neurons differed between detected and undetected stimuli. This direct neurophysiological evidence suggests that subcortical structures contribute to conscious detection, challenging the prevailing cortico-centric view of the neural correlates of consciousness.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Neurological patients undergoing surgery for deep brain stimulation |
| Keywords | Human Neuroscience Subthalamic Thalamus Consciousness research |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key finding | Neurons in the subthalamic nucleus and thalamus modulate their activity during stimulus expectation, and 23% of these neurons show firing rate differences between detected and undetected vibrotactile stimuli. |
Abstract
Subcortical brain structures such as the subthalamic nucleus or the thalamus are involved in regulating motor and cognitive behavior. However, their contribution to perceptual consciousness remains unclear, due to the inherent difficulties of recording subcortical neuronal activity in humans. Here, we asked neurological patients undergoing surgery for deep brain stimulation to detect weak vibrotactile stimuli applied on their hand while recording single neuron activity from the tip of a microelectrode. We isolated putative single neurons in the subthalamic nucleus and thalamus. A significant proportion of neurons modulated their activity while participants were expecting a stimulus. We found that the firing rate of 23% of these neurons differed between detected and undetected stimuli. Our results provide direct neurophysiological evidence of the involvement of the subthalamic nucleus and the thalamus for the detection of vibrotactile stimuli, thereby calling for a less cortico-centric view of the neural correlates of consciousness.