Fluorodeoxyglucose PET and Consciousness

An expanding body of advanced functional neuroimaging research, particularly using fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET, has sought to characterize the neurologic foundations of consciousness. Investigations have examined a broad spectrum of conscious states, as well as experimental methods for inducing alterations in conscious experience. These states range from typical waking awareness to various stages of sleep, the anesthetized brain, and conditions associated with neurologic or psychiatric disorders such as seizures and schizophrenia. This review describes key findings from these lines of inquiry and discusses the methodological limitations and conceptual challenges in studying consciousness through neuroimaging approaches such as FDG PET.