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Related Concept Videos

Psychodynamic Perspectives on Personality01:27

Psychodynamic Perspectives on Personality

The psychodynamic perspective in psychology asserts that most personality functions operate unconsciously, outside of awareness. This means that the motives and emotions driving behavior often remain hidden, automatically buried in the unconscious mind as a defense mechanism to shield us from psychological distress. According to this theory, the unconscious mind contains thoughts, memories, and emotions that are too disturbing to face directly.
Psychodynamic theorists argue that unconscious...
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Sigmund Freud's model of the human psyche is often illustrated using an iceberg analogy. The iceberg's visible tip represents the conscious mind, which includes thoughts and perceptions that individuals are immediately aware of. However, the larger, submerged portion of the iceberg represents the unconscious mind, a reservoir of repressed desires, instincts, and memories. According to Freud, human behavior is primarily shaped by this hidden realm.
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Freudian Psychology01:26

Freudian Psychology

Sigmund Freud, an Austrian neurologist born in 1856, significantly influenced psychology through his exploration of the unconscious mind. His interest in patients suffering from hysteria and neurosis — conditions without apparent physical causes — led him to theorize the existence of an unconscious mind, a repository for feelings and urges beyond our awareness. Freud's innovative approach included techniques such as dream analysis, free association, and attention to slips of the tongue to...
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Subconsciousness and No Awareness01:15

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Looking for the self in pathological unconsciousness.

Athena Demertzi1, Audrey Vanhaudenhuyse, Serge Brédart

  • 1Coma Science Group, Cyclotron Research Center and Neurology Department, University of Liège , Liège , Belgium.

Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
|September 13, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Studying patients with disorders of consciousness reveals that midline brain regions are crucial for self-awareness. Impairments in these areas correlate with reduced consciousness levels, aiding clinical understanding.

Keywords:
consciousnessdefault mode networkdisorders of consciousnessexternal awarenessneuroimagingself

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Neurology

Background:

  • Consciousness and self are intricately linked.
  • Disorders of consciousness (DoC) offer a unique lesion approach to study the neural basis of self.
  • Neuroimaging studies highlight midline cortical regions in self-referential processing.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the neural correlates of self in patients with DoC.
  • To explore the role of midline cortices in self-referential cognition.
  • To advance theoretical frameworks for understanding subjectivity in DoC.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing neuroimaging techniques (e.g., fMRI, resting-state studies) in patients with DoC.
  • Examining responses to self-referential stimuli (own name, own face).
  • Analyzing the relationship between midline region integrity and consciousness level.

Main Results:

  • Midline anterior and posterior cortices are critically involved in processing self-referential stimuli.
  • Resting-state studies show impaired midline regions correlating with reduced consciousness.
  • Evidence supports a dynamic system-level approach to subjectivity.

Conclusions:

  • The neural correlates of self are primarily located in midline cortical regions.
  • Disorders of consciousness involve significant impairment of these self-related brain networks.
  • Clinical translation of these findings can improve patient management and family understanding.