Affiliation:
1. Departments of Neurology and Neurobiology Yale University School of Medicine,
2. Program in Cognitive Science Yale University
Abstract
Model systems are needed for the scientific investigation of consciousness. A good model system should include variable states of consciousness, allowing the relationship between brain activity and consciousness to be investigated. Examples include sleep, anesthesia, focal brain lesions, development, evolution, and epilepsy. One advantage of epilepsy is that changes are dynamic and rapidly reversible. The authors review previous investigations of impaired consciousness in epilepsy and describe new findings that may shed light on both normal and abnormal mechanisms of consciousness. Abnormal increased activity in fronto-parietal association cortex and related subcortical structures is associated with loss of consciousness in generalized seizures. Abnormal decreased activity in these same networks may cause loss of conscious-ness in complex partial seizures. Thus, abnormally increased or decreased activity in the same networks can cause loss of consciousness. Information flow during normal conscious processing may require a dynamic balance between these two extremes of excitation and inhibition.
Subject
Neurology (clinical),General Neuroscience
Cited by
140 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献