The Cognitive Neuroscience of Consciousness (Cognition Special Issue)

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 249 pages
• Published by: The MIT Press May 14, 2002
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0262541319
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0262541312
• Book Dimensions: 9.7 x 7 x 0.6 inches
• Weighs: 12 ounces

Product Description
This book investigates the philosophical, empirical, and theoretical bases on which a cognitive neuroscience of consciousness can be founded. The research questions reviewed include: Does perception occur without awareness? Can the neural bases of perceptual awareness be visualized with brain-imaging methods? What do unilateral neglect and extinction tell us about conscious and unconscious processing? What is the contribution of brainstem nuclei to conscious states? How can we identify mental processes uniquely associated with consciousness? An introductory chapter proposes a theoretical framework for building a cognitive neuroscience of consciousness, and two concluding chapters evaluate the progress made so far.

About The Author
Stanislas Dehaene is Director of Research at INSERM's Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, Paris.

Reader Reviews
Along with Neural Correlates of Consciousness, this is the best book on consciousness yet. Nowhere else will you read anything that gets as close at explaining consciousness scientifically. Its main theme is the workspace theory, in neuropychological, cognitive, philosophical and neurobiological terms. Anyone familiar will notice how naturally this theory follows work done in the last 7 years on the science of consciousness. The theory is simple: conscious representations get their content from diverse modules, but this is not enough. The representations are made available globally to other modules. Synchronization attention,and spatial context help carry this out. Parietal, Frontal and probably cingular cortices are essential in this stage. Consciousness is the global availability of information through the distribuited workspace. So in all,there is a consensus as to the adequacy of this theory. in quick review of literature, we have Edelman (2000)(Universe of Consciousness) who proposes a dynamc core distribuited in the thalamocortical system, coheherent activity in a sort of workspace. Singer (2000)(paper in NCOC)who postulates that neuronal assemblies are distribuited and accessible to many modules. Lumer(1998), Rees (1999)(papers in NCOC and journals) who find that consciousness is correlate with activity not only in sensory cortex, but parietal and frontal areas- that is, distribuited activity, in a global workspace. Baars (A cognitive theory of consicousness) of course has argued for global workspace theory for years. Papers by Kjaer (2001), Beck(2001), who also find similar evidence, etc..... The book has 8 papers, every one a jewel. Dehaene reviews the theory and evidence that supports it, as well as placing it in a context of the scientific study of consicousness and its prospects. Driver et al. review neglect syndrome, and how it can serve as evidence for the workspace model, as well as how the model may explain the condition. Knwisher reviews evidence for the neural correlates of consciousness, and concludes that a form of the workspace model emerges. Merikle et al. discuss some methodological issues on unconsicous perception. Parvizi et al. discuss the neurofunctional role of the reticular activating system and its putative role on consciousness. Jack et al. discuss some methodological issues on instrospective reports, and propose an executive function model that fits in with the worspace model. Finally, Block and Dennett both philosophically analyze the workspace model. This is the Dennett paper that I agree with the most, almost in everything, but he again dismisses qualia as merely dispositions. In short, this book presents the most exiting results on resent research of consicousness, from many prespectives. A consensus as to the neural correlates of consciousness is clearly emerging, and these are indeed exiting times. This book is a must for anyone who has ever wondered about how consciousness "emerges" from the brain. Absolutely great and necessary read.