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Published August 2004 | public
Journal Article

Consciousness and neurosurgery

Abstract

THE NEURONAL BASIS of consciousness is the greatest challenge to the scientific world-view. Much relevant empirical work is carried out on the minimal neuronal mechanisms underlying any one specific conscious percept. Two broad approaches are popular among brain scientists: electrophysiological recordings from individual neurons in the cortex of behaving monkeys or behavior combined with functional brain imaging in humans. However, many aspects of consciousness are problematic or remain off-limits to the former approach, while the latter one lacks sufficient spatial and temporal resolution to monitor individual neurons that are key to perception, thought, memory, and action. It is here that neurosurgeons, probing the living human brain on a daily basis, can play a decisive role. This article explores the contributions of neurosurgeons to this quest and outlines some of the results that have already been achieved.

Additional Information

©2004 by the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. Received, January 9, 2004. Accepted, April 8, 2004.

Additional details

Created:
September 15, 2023
Modified:
October 23, 2023