Relative blindsight in normal observers and the neural correlate of visual consciousness
Relative blindsight in normal observers and the neural correlate of visual consciousness
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DOI：
10.1073/pnas.0607716103
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发表时间：
2006-12-05
影响因子：
11.1
通讯作者：
Passingham, Richard E.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Lau, Hakwan C.;Passingham, Richard E.
通过使用基于元对比掩蔽的范例，我们创建了实验条件，其中意识的主观报告不同，但客观测量的能力，以区分视觉目标不。这种方法使我们能够研究意识的神经相关性，同时在健康的人类受试者中仔细匹配性能水平。通过功能性磁共振成像测量的与这些条件相关的神经活动的比较表明，有意识的知觉与中背外侧前额叶皮层（46区）的空间特异性活动相关。进一步的分析证实，这种激活不仅不受任何性能混淆的影响，而且也不受物理刺激时间差异的驱动。我们的研究结果表明，前额叶皮层是重要的意识知觉的本质上是主观方面。
By using a paradigm based on metacontrast masking, we created experimental conditions in which the subjective report of consciousness differs but the objectively measured ability to discriminate visual targets does not. This approach allowed us to study the neural correlate of consciousness while having performance levels carefully matched in healthy human subjects. A comparison of the neural activity associated with these conditions as measured by functional MRI showed that conscious perception is associated with spatially specific activity in the mid-dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (area 46). Further analysis confirms that this activation is not only free from any performance confound, but is also not driven by differences in the timing of the physical stimuli. Our results suggest that the prefrontal cortex is important for the essentially subjective aspects of conscious perception.