Consciousness

Question 1

Neural activity in which of the following structures is most likely to be a specific factor that correlates with conscious awareness?

a) posterior parietal cortex
b) prefrontal cortex
c) medial temporal lobe

Answer 1

a) posterior parietal cortex

Question 2

Which of the following structures is the least likely to be a specific factor for what activity correlates with consciousness?

a) Medial temporal cortex
b) Posterior parietal cortex
c) Brain area IT
d) Brain area MT (V5)

Answer 2

a) Medial temporal cortex

Question 3

Which of the following is most likely to be a specific factor as a neural correlate of consciousness?

a) Widespread brain activity during wakefulness that differs from activity asleep
b) Activity in primary auditory cortex in response to music
c) Activity in inferior temporal cortex in response to the picture of a face
d) Activity in supplementary motor cortex that precedes movement of the arm

Answer 3

c) Activity in inferior temporal cortex in response to the picture of a face

Question 4

Component of the DMN

Answer 4

• Posterior parietal cortex
• Medial prefrontal cortex
• Hippocampus

Question 5

All the following are part of the default mode network EXCEPT

a) Hippocampus
b) Posterior parietal cortex
c) Medial prefrontal cortex
d) Primary visual cortex

Answer 5

d) Primary visual cortex

Question 6

Components of DMN (more active at rest than during tasks)

Answer 6

• Medial prefrontal cortex
• Posterior cingulatote cortex
• Posterior parietal cortex
• Hippocampus
• Lateral temporal cortex

Question 7

Functions of DMN

Answer 7

• The sentinel hypothesis - at rest, we broadly monitor our environment for threats
• The mentation hypothesis - at rest, we think about past and future events →
  daydreaming!

Question 8

Exogenous (bottom-up) attention

Answer 8

• Stimulus is driven by salience
• Like a jump scare grabbing all of your attention in that moment

Question 9

Endogenous (top-down) attention

Answer 9

Goal-directed → like bringing attention to the inhale and exhale of your breath

Question 10

Overt attention

Answer 10

We move both our eyes and head to put an object at the center of our fovea → usually endogenous (intentional)

Question 11

Covert attention

Answer 11

We pay attention to periphery → usually exogenous

Question 12

Covert attention is usually ___

Answer 12

Exogenous

Question 13

Visual sensitivity experiment

Answer 13

Big takeaway is that paying attention improves sensitivity

Question 14

Experiment: neural activity of attention

Answer 14

Question 15

Neural effects of attention

Answer 15

Question 16

Neural correlates of consciousness - enabling factors (needed for consciousness but NOT the essence of it)

Answer 16

• Blood flow, oxygen
• Reticular activating system (regulates behavioral arousal, consciousness, and motivation), visual cues
• ACh diffuse modulatory system (perks up neurons involved in memory and focus)

Question 17

Neural correlates of consciousness - specific factors (brain activity needed for specific precepts)

Answer 17

• V4 lesions- achromatopsia (lost the qualia of color, but the machinery is still there)
• MT lesions - lose the qualia of motion
• IT lesions - prosopagnosia

Question 18

Neural correlates of consciousness - NOT specific factors

Answer 18

○ Medial temporal lobe - H.M was still conscious without!
○ Prefrontal cortex - Surprising given how big it is, but still conscious with prefrontal
lobectomy
○ Speech areas + general motor areas (conscious without speech or movement)

Question 19

Binocular rivalry has been used in experiments on brain activity and consciousness because

a) The experimenter can follow brain activity as it switches between the left and right hemispheres
b) It is based on perception in the “minds eye” unrelated to visual input
c) Brain activity is by default the minimal amount needed for a percept
d) Changes in perception occur without changes in visual input

Answer 19

d) Changes in perception occur without changes in visual input