Institute for Theoretical Physics, Utrecht University, Utrecht 3584CC, Netherlands.
Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1098XH, Netherlands.
eNeuro. 2024 Sep 25;11(9). doi: 10.1523/ENEURO.0191-24.2024. Print 2024 Sep.
Conscious reportability of visual input is associated with a bimodal neural response in the primary visual cortex (V1): an early-latency response coupled to stimulus features and a late-latency response coupled to stimulus report or detection. This late wave of activity, central to major theories of consciousness, is thought to be driven by the prefrontal cortex (PFC), responsible for "igniting" it. Here we analyzed two electrophysiological studies in mice performing different stimulus detection tasks and characterized neural activity profiles in three key cortical regions: V1, posterior parietal cortex (PPC), and PFC. We then developed a minimal network model, constrained by known connectivity between these regions, reproducing the spatiotemporal propagation of visual- and report-related activity. Remarkably, while PFC was indeed necessary to generate report-related activity in V1, this occurred only through the mediation of PPC. PPC, and not PFC, had the final veto in enabling the report-related late wave of V1 activity.
视觉输入的有意识报告与初级视觉皮层（V1）中的双模态神经反应有关：与刺激特征相关的早期潜伏期反应和与刺激报告或检测相关的晚期潜伏期反应。这种活动的晚期波，是意识主要理论的核心，被认为是由负责“引发”它的前额叶皮层（PFC）驱动的。在这里，我们分析了在执行不同刺激检测任务的小鼠中进行的两项电生理研究，并在三个关键皮层区域（V1、顶后皮质（PPC）和 PFC）中描述了神经活动特征。然后，我们开发了一个最小的网络模型，该模型受到这些区域之间已知连接的限制，再现了视觉和报告相关活动的时空传播。值得注意的是，虽然 PFC 确实是在 V1 中产生报告相关活动所必需的，但这仅通过 PPC 介导。PPC 而不是 PFC 最终否决了使 V1 活动的报告相关晚期波能够发生。
