Awareness is the essence of human existence, because it is the ability to see, hear, dream, imagination, a feeling of pain, pleasure, fear, love, etc., but where is this awareness specifically in the brain? A question has always baffled scientists and doctors, and a new study provides modern visions of that issue.
In an effort to determine the parts of the brain responsible for consciousness, neuroscientists conducted measurements of electrical and magnetic activity, as well as blood flow, in the brains of 256 people in 12 laboratories across the United States, Europe and China while watching the participants various photos. The measurements tracked activity in different parts of the brain.
The researchers found that awareness may not arise in the “smart” part of the brain, which is the front areas where the thinking process that has gradually grown in the process of human development occurs, but it may arise in sensory areas in the back of the brain that treats vision and hearing.
“Why is all this important?” Said neuroscientist Christophe Cook of the Allen Institute in Seattle.
Cook is one of the main preparatory stomachs this week in the scientific journal (Nature). He explained, “If we want to understand the pillar of consciousness and those who possess it, adults and children before acquiring the language and the fetus in the second trimester of pregnancy, dog, mouse, dress, lean and fly, we need to determine the basic mechanisms in the brain …”
Pictures of the faces of people and different things were shown to the study participants.
“Consciousness is the feeling that we feel when seeing a toaster or a person’s toast. Awareness is not the behavior associated with this feeling, for example pressing a button or saying” I see so -and -so. “
The researchers tested two leading scientific theories about consciousness. Under the theory of “comprehensive nervous work, consciousness is embodied at the forefront of the brain, and then important information is widespread in all parts.
As for the theory of “integrated information”, consciousness stems from the interaction and cooperation of different parts of the brain, as these parts work together to integrate the received information in the event of consciousness. The results did not agree with any of the two theories.
“Where are the neurological signs that indicate awareness in the brain? Simply, is it at the forefront of the cerebral cortex, that is, the outer layer of the brain, like the frontal cortex, just as the theory of comprehensive nervous work area predicted?”
It is the front frontal that makes our human race unique and diversified, as it stimulates the higher cognitive processes such as planning, decision -making, thinking, expression of personality and amending social behavior.
Cook went on in his questions, “Or are the signs of (consciousness) present in the background areas of the shell?” The back shell is the area where hearing and vision processing occurs.
“Here, the evidence is categorically in the interest of the back shell. Either the information related to consciousness was not found in the forward, or it was much weaker than those in the back. This supports the idea that the frontal lobes, although necessary for intelligence, judgment, inference etc., do not share a decisively in vision, that is, in the visual awareness in the event of consciousness.”
However, the study was unable to determine enough communication that lasts for the time the experience of consciousness in the back of the brain to support integrated information theory.
Practical applications for the formation of a deeper understanding of the dynamics of awareness in the brain.
Cook said that this will be important for how doctors deal with patients in coma or vigilance syndrome without response, which is a condition in which they are awake but do not show any signs of awareness due to a brain injury, stroke, heart attack, an overdose of the drug or other causes.
Among these patients, between 70 to 90 percent dies due to a decision to withdraw life that supports life.
“Nevertheless, we now know that about a quarter of patients are in the case of coma or … vigilance syndrome without response are aware, hidden awareness, however they cannot refer to that,”
“We will be able to know the effects of awareness in the brain than to better monitor this non -” existence “form without the ability to indicate.”
