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Updated: Aug 22, 2025
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Online Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Protocol for Measuring Cortical Physiology Associated with Response Inhibition
Published on: February 8, 2018
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The thalamocortical inhibitory network controls human conscious perception
Jeehye Seo1, Dae-Jin Kim2, Sang-Han Choi1
1Institute for Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea.
Neuroimage
|November 12, 2022
Summary
This study reveals that higher-order thalamocortical regions are crucial for conscious perception. Thalamic inhibitory regulation and iterative integration within these regions are essential for experiencing fused colors.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Conscious perception is a key cognitive function, but its neural basis is not fully understood.
- The precise role of thalamocortical interactions in conscious perception remains debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural correlates of conscious perception.
- To determine the involvement of thalamocortical interactions in differentiating conscious experiences.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was employed to observe brain activity.
- Participants viewed visual stimuli that could be perceived as fused or non-fused colors.
- Dynamic causal modeling (DCM) was used to analyze effective connectivity.
Main Results:
- Significantly differentiated fMRI neurodynamics were observed in higher-order thalamocortical regions, not first-order.
- Anticorrelated activity was found between the visual stream network and the default-mode network.
- DCM confirmed iterative integration in higher-order thalamocortical regions for fused perception and inhibitory control for non-fusion.
Conclusions:
- Conscious perception involves iterative integration and inhibitory regulation within higher-order thalamocortical networks.
- Thalamic inhibitory control and signal iteration across thalamocortical regions are vital for conscious awareness.
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