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Initial-state-dependent, robust, transient neural dynamics encode conscious visual perception
Alexis T Baria1, Brian Maniscalco1,2, Biyu J He1,2,3
1National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America.
Plos Computational Biology
|November 28, 2017
Summary
Brain activity patterns before visual stimuli predict conscious perception. Neural dynamics during conscious awareness are fast, robust, and depend on initial brain states, influencing perception outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Computational Neuroscience
Background:
- Late-latency, long-lasting neural activity is linked to conscious perception.
- The dynamic nature and underlying mechanisms of this neural activity remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the dynamical properties of whole-brain cortical activity related to conscious visual perception.
- To understand how pre-stimulus brain states influence conscious perception outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Applied dynamic-pattern analysis to magnetoencephalography (MEG) data.
- Analyzed slow (< 5 Hz) cortical dynamics in human subjects during a threshold-level visual perception task.
Main Results:
- Pre-stimulus brain activity patterns (up to 1 second prior) predicted conscious perception of visual stimuli.
- Cortical activity trajectories diverged significantly between consciously perceived (seen) and unperceived (unseen) trials.
- Conscious perception trajectories were fast-evolving and robust to initial state variations.
- Spontaneous pre-stimulus activity also influenced unconscious perception in unseen trials.
Conclusions:
- Conscious visual perception is underpinned by initial-state-dependent, robust, transient neural dynamics.
- Brain dynamics exhibit nonlinear interactions between initial states and stimulus input to shape perception.
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