|
|
Consciousness and executive function
Consciousness and executive function
The
quest
for animal consciousness Andrea Nani, Clare Eddy & Andrea Cavanna,
Universities of Turin, Birmingham and UCL
Journal of Cosmology, 2011,
Vol.
14
INTRODUCTION: The most interesting aspect of this paper is
the reference to studies demonstrating that only sensory information
that is
reported as conscious in humans is able to activate brain regions
dealing with
executive functions.
Studies of neural activity indicate an overlap
between
human and animal activity. Studies in many species suggest that some
behaviours
cannot be explained simply by stimulus and response. In humans there is a
marked difference between the EEGs of conscious and unconscious
subjects.
Conscious activity is particularly associated with the approx. 20-70 Hz
gamma
synchrony. The distinctive EEGs as between waking states, and states
regarded
as unconscious in humans is also apparent in all mammals that have been
studied
in this respect. Conscious activity in humans correlates with specific
interactions between the thalamus and the cortex, which are also found
in
animals. The thalamocortical system appeared mainly in mammals about 100
million years ago. Birds possess functionally comparable structures. The
tendency for consciousness to be related to widespread activity in the
brain is
also found in animals performing functions that are correlated to
consciousness
in humans.
Studies (Frackowiak, 2004) shows that in humans only
sensory information
that is reported as conscious activates the executive regions of the
brain. The
dorsolateral prefrontal is normally seen as the most important region of
the brain
in this respect. This implies that consciousness has an essential
functional
role in the human brain, and something similar is likely to arise in
other
mammals given their similar brains. Studies of animal behaviour produces
instances of where they have to form simple executive plans, or have
anticipated the likely future location of objects.
|
|
