Deciphering the Neural Circuits of Consciousness: An Integrative Framework from Microcircuits to Global Networks
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62051/kh9n6s25Keywords:
consciousness, circuit, disorders of consciousness, neuromodulation.Abstract
Consciousness arises from dynamic cross-scale interactions, yet its neural substrates remain fragmented across spatiotemporal hierarchies. This review synthesizes pivotal advances from the past five years (2020-2025), integrating perturbational complexity mapping, optogenetic dissection, and multimodal neuroimaging to delineate core mechanisms. Key findings include: (1) thalamocortical reverberations generating conscious-state-specific EEG signatures (e.g., off-period-rebound sequences; (2) frontoparietal network failure in disorders of consciousness, characterized by collapsed information broadcasting and metabolic disruption; (3) the claustrum as a multimodal hub whose degeneration impairs perceptual coherence; and (4) septal-hippocampal-accumbens control of gamma oscillations governing state transitions. Technological innovations—from adversarial collaborations testing IIT/GNWT to taVNS-mediated circuit neuromodulation —reveal how targeted interventions can restore pathological networks. We further highlight persistent challenges: rodent-human translational gaps, unresolved theoretical contradictions, and ethical constraints in causal human manipulation. This synthesis provides an evidence-based scaffold for future consciousness research, bridging microcircuits to clinical therapeutics.
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