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A computational neuroscience approach to consciousness.
1University of Oxford, Department of Experimental Psychology, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3UD, England, United Kingdom. Edmund.Rolls@psy.ox.ac.uk
Summary
Neural firing rates, not synchrony, convey visual object information. Conscious perception may require higher processing levels, potentially to filter noise and enable complex thought, leading to subjective experiences.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Computational Neuroscience
Background:
- Inferior temporal cortex neurons primarily use firing rates, not synchrony, for stimulus information.
- Backward masking studies suggest conscious perception thresholds exceed basic information processing levels.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the role of neural synchrony versus firing rates in visual object perception.
- Explore the computational basis of consciousness and its adaptive value.
- Propose a higher-order syntactic thought (HOST) theory of consciousness.
Main Methods:
- Simultaneous neuronal population recordings from the inferior temporal visual cortex.
- Analysis of information content in neural firing rates and synchrony.
- Theoretical modeling of computational processes related to consciousness.
Main Results:
- Most visual stimulus information resides in neuronal firing rates, not stimulus-dependent synchrony.
- Conscious visual perception threshold may be higher than information processing levels allowing non-conscious guessing.
- Higher-order thoughts are proposed to solve credit assignment problems in complex planning.
Conclusions:
- Stimulus-dependent synchrony is unlikely essential for visual object perception.
- Conscious processing may serve an adaptive role by filtering sensory noise.
- Qualia (subjective feelings) may arise secondary to the evolution of higher-order thought systems.
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