The Neurobiology of Consciousness

Abstract

Over the past two decades, the mystery of consciousness and its material basis has begun to be investigated by the sciences. The neurobiological approach to consciousness aims to identify its correlates at the neuronal level. Electrophysiological, psychophysical, and functional imaging studies in humans and nonhuman animals have allowed brain scientists to narrow their focus to the neural substrates of consciousness and conscious perception in the circuits of the forebrain, in particular the thalamocortical system and its satellites. These findings, complemented by the development of a robust theoretical predictive framework, should eventually lead to a rational understanding of the phenomenon of consciousness.