Perceptual awareness negativity: a physiological correlate of sensory consciousness.
C. Dembski, Christof Koch, Michael A. Pitts
Trends in Cognitive Sciences June 22, 2021 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2021.05.009 via Semantic Scholar
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractThe P3b brain wave is not a reliable marker of conscious perception, as many experiments have failed to observe it during conscious experience. In contrast, the visual and auditory awareness negativity (VAN and AAN) have not been dissociated from consciousness, and a similar signal correlates with tactile consciousness. These awareness negativities are likely generated in sensory cortices and can be maximal contralateral to the stimulus, suggesting a generalized perceptual awareness negativity (PAN) that marks the onset of sensory consciousness.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Medicine Biology |
| Key finding | The P3b is not a neural correlate of consciousness, while awareness negativities (VAN, AAN, and a tactile counterpart) are consistently linked to conscious perception and point to a generalized perceptual awareness negativity (PAN). |
Abstract
Much research on the neural correlates of consciousness (NCC) has focused on two evoked potentials, the P3b and the visual or auditory awareness negativity (VAN, AAN). Surveying a broad range of recent experimental evidence, we find that repeated failures to observe the P3b during conscious perception eliminate it as a putative NCC. Neither the VAN nor the AAN have been dissociated from consciousness; furthermore, a similar neural signal correlates with tactile consciousness. These awareness negativities can be maximal contralateral to the evoking stimulus, are likely generated in underlying sensory cortices, and point to the existence of a generalized perceptual awareness negativity (PAN) reflecting the onset of sensory consciousness.