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A concept of consciousness.

E Niedermeyer¹

¹Department of Neurology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and The Sinai Hospital, Towson, Maryland 21204, USA.

Italian Journal of Neurological Sciences

|August 10, 2000

Summary

This study proposes a simplified, three-component model of consciousness: vigilance, mental contents, and selective attention. These components offer a framework for neuroscientific investigation into the complex nature of consciousness.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Philosophy of Mind
Cognitive Science

Background:

Consciousness is a complex and often undefinable term, historically overlooked by classical philosophers.
René Descartes and subsequent thinkers significantly shifted the philosophical discourse on consciousness.
Existing definitions are often reductionistic and lack clinical applicability.

Purpose of the Study:

To propose a simplified, reductionistic, and definable concept of consciousness.
To identify key components of consciousness amenable to neuroscientific investigation.
To explore the clinical implications of this model, particularly in epilepsy.

Main Methods:

Conceptual analysis integrating historical philosophical perspectives with modern neuroscience.
Identification of three core components: vigilance, mental contents, and selective attention.
Review of neuroscientific methods applicable to studying these components.

Main Results:

Consciousness is proposed to comprise vigilance, mental contents, and selective attention.
Vigilance is identified as the most accessible component for neuroscientific study.
Differences between sleep and coma are highlighted, with focus on epileptic absence seizures.

Conclusions:

The proposed three-component model offers a practical framework for studying consciousness.
Neuroscientific methods can be applied to investigate vigilance, mental contents, and selective attention.
Epileptic disorders, such as absence seizures, provide insights into the disruption of consciousness mechanisms, potentially involving working memory circuits.

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