Theoretical Models of Consciousness: A Scoping Review.
Davide Sattin, Francesca Giulia Magnani, Laura Bartesaghi, Milena Caputo, Andrea Veronica Fittipaldo, Martina Cacciatore, Mario Picozzi, Matilde Leonardi
Brain sciences April 24, 2021 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11050535 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA scoping review of 68 articles published between 2007 and 2017 analyzed 29 theories of consciousness. The theories showed heterogeneous perspectives, with the most variability concerning subjectivity, neural correlates of consciousness (NCC), and the relationship between consciousness and cognitive function. Among sub-cortical structures, the thalamus, basal ganglia, and hippocampus were most frequently indicated; among cortical areas, the cingulate, prefrontal, and temporal regions, as well as the thalamo-cortical system, were most reported. The review also identified multiple definitions of consciousness and 21 new sub-classifications.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Scoping review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Cognition Consciousness definition Consciousness theory Neural correlates Subjectivity |
| Key finding | Theories of consciousness published between 2007-2017 show heterogeneous perspectives, with the greatest variability in subjectivity, neural correlates of consciousness, and the consciousness/cognitive function relationship; the thalamus, basal ganglia, hippocampus, cingulate, prefrontal, and temporal areas are the most reported neural structures. |
Abstract
The amount of knowledge on human consciousness has created a multitude of viewpoints and it is difficult to compare and synthesize all the recent scientific perspectives. Indeed, there are many definitions of consciousness and multiple approaches to study the neural correlates of consciousness (NCC). Therefore, the main aim of this article is to collect data on the various theories of consciousness published between 2007-2017 and to synthesize them to provide a general overview of this topic. To describe each theory, we developed a thematic grid called the dimensional model, which qualitatively and quantitatively analyzes how each article, related to one specific theory, debates/analyzes a specific issue. Among the 1130 articles assessed, 85 full texts were included in the prefinal step. Finally, this scoping review analyzed 68 articles that described 29 theories of consciousness. We found heterogeneous perspectives in the theories analyzed. Those with the highest grade of variability are as follows: subjectivity, NCC, and the consciousness/cognitive function. Among sub-cortical structures, thalamus, basal ganglia, and the hippocampus were the most indicated, whereas the cingulate, prefrontal, and temporal areas were the most reported for cortical ones also including the thalamo-cortical system. Moreover, we found several definitions of consciousness and 21 new sub-classifications.