Consciousness and models of brain dynamics
Duch, W.
Neurologia i Neurochirurgia Polska 34(2 Suppl): 69-84
2000
ISSN/ISBN: 0028-3843 PMID: 10962738 Document Number: 517402
Consciousness is connected with attention, working memory and perception. The stream of consciousness contains only those elements that are present in the working memory. Neurophysiological correlates of conscious states are sought in form of synchronization processes based on 40 Hz oscillations needed to solve the binding problem. Alternative theories to solve or avoid the binding problem are presented. Correlates based on neural complexity index recently introduced by Tonioni and Edelman are especially promising. Theories of "activity bubbles" and of adaptive resonance explain many aspects of the conscious' experience phenomenology. Arguments supporting the idea that consciousness is a process of discrimination of continuous, non-symbolic representations appearing in small-capacity working memory are presented. These representations create resonant states with long-term memory traces, a process that cannot be captured by digital computer simulations.