Spontaneous neuronal avalanches as a correlate of access consciousness

Abstract

Decades of research have advanced our understanding of the biophysical mechanisms underlying consciousness. However, an overarching framework bridging between models of consciousness and the large-scale organization of spontaneous brain activity is still missing. Based on the observation that spontaneous brain activity dynamically switches between epochs of segregation and large-scale integration of information, we hypothesize a brain-state dependence of conscious access, whereby the presence of either segregated or integrated states marks distinct modes of information processing. We first review influential works on the neuronal correlates of consciousness, spontaneous resting-state brain activity and dynamical system theory. Then, we propose a test experiment to validate our hypothesis that conscious access occurs in aperiodic cycles, alternating windows where new incoming information is collected but not experienced, to punctuated short-lived integration events, where conscious access to previously collected content occurs. In particular, we suggest that the integration events correspond to neuronal avalanches, which are collective bursts of neuronal activity ubiquitously observed in electrophysiological recordings. If confirmed, the proposed framework would link the physics of spontaneous cortical dynamics, to the concept of ignition within the global neuronal workspace theory, whereby conscious access manifest itself as a burst of neuronal activity.

About the compatibility between the perturbational complexity index and the global neuronal workspace theory of consciousness

“…2011 ). This has also been recently indicated by the data collected by another group and their theoretical interpretation ( Rabuffo, et al. 2022 ).…”

Towards a hybrid approach to unveil the Chimaira of neurosciences: philosophy, aperiodic activity and the neural correlates of consciousness

“…That is, AA effectively differentiated between resting-state wakefulness, NREM sleep and anaesthesia (Muthukumaraswamy and Liley, 2018;Colombo et al, 2019;Miskovic et al, 2019;Lendner et al, 2020;Waschke et al, 2021;Zhou et al, 2021). Additionally Rabuffo et al (2022) support that aperiodic or brain spontaneous activity (i.e., neuronal avalanches) reflects the concept of ignition postulated by the GNWH, by signalling the access of information into consciousness. They proceed in arguing for the combination of both oscillations and avalanches fora complete account of consciousness.…”

Irruption and Absorption: A ‘Black-Box’ Framework for How Mind and Matter Make a Difference to Each Other

“…A traveling wave could be interpreted as providing an optimal solution to the incompatible spatiotemporal markers of irruption and absorption: it has been proposed that the function of this phenomenon has to do with spontaneous switching between moments of segregation and large-scale integration. More specifically, it has been hypothesized that conscious experience occurs in aperiodic cycles, with the moments of conscious experience coinciding with integration events [55], just as would be predicted by irruption theory.…”