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Updated: Dec 10, 2025

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Published on: June 13, 2017
Cellular Mechanisms of Conscious Processing
Jaan Aru1, Mototaka Suzuki2, Matthew E Larkum3
1Institute of Biology, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Institute of Computer Science, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
Abstract:
Recent breakthroughs in neurobiology indicate that the time is ripe to understand how cellular-level mechanisms are related to conscious experience. Here, we highlight the biophysical properties of pyramidal cells, which allow them to act as gates that control the evolution of global activation patterns. In conscious states, this cellular mechanism enables complex sustained dynamics within the thalamocortical system, whereas during unconscious states, such signal propagation is prohibited. We suggest that the hallmark of conscious processing is the flexible integration of bottom-up and top-down data streams at the cellular level. This cellular integration mechanism provides the foundation for Dendritic Information Theory, a novel neurobiological theory of consciousness.
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