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Measures of differentiation and integration: One step closer to consciousness

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 March 2022

Marcello Massimini
Affiliation:
Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences “L. Sacco”, University of Milan, 20157Milan, Italymarcello.massimini@unimi.ithttps://www.unimi.it/en/ugov/person/marcello-massiminisimone.sarasso@unimi.ithttps://www.unimi.it/en/ugov/person/simone-sarassomario.rosanova@unimi.ithttps://www.unimi.it/en/ugov/person/mario-rosanova IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi ONLUS, 20122Milan, Italysilvia.casarotto@unimi.ithttps://www.unimi.it/en/ugov/person/silvia-casarotto Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), Toronto, ONM5G 1M1, Canada.
Simone Sarasso
Affiliation:
Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences “L. Sacco”, University of Milan, 20157Milan, Italymarcello.massimini@unimi.ithttps://www.unimi.it/en/ugov/person/marcello-massiminisimone.sarasso@unimi.ithttps://www.unimi.it/en/ugov/person/simone-sarassomario.rosanova@unimi.ithttps://www.unimi.it/en/ugov/person/mario-rosanova
Silvia Casarotto
Affiliation:
Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences “L. Sacco”, University of Milan, 20157Milan, Italymarcello.massimini@unimi.ithttps://www.unimi.it/en/ugov/person/marcello-massiminisimone.sarasso@unimi.ithttps://www.unimi.it/en/ugov/person/simone-sarassomario.rosanova@unimi.ithttps://www.unimi.it/en/ugov/person/mario-rosanova IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi ONLUS, 20122Milan, Italysilvia.casarotto@unimi.ithttps://www.unimi.it/en/ugov/person/silvia-casarotto
Mario Rosanova
Affiliation:
Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences “L. Sacco”, University of Milan, 20157Milan, Italymarcello.massimini@unimi.ithttps://www.unimi.it/en/ugov/person/marcello-massiminisimone.sarasso@unimi.ithttps://www.unimi.it/en/ugov/person/simone-sarassomario.rosanova@unimi.ithttps://www.unimi.it/en/ugov/person/mario-rosanova

Abstract

Interpreting empirical measures of integration and differentiation as indices of cortical performance and memory consolidation during wakefulness rather than consciousness per se is inconsistent with the literature. Recent studies show that these theory-inspired measures can dissociate from such processes and reliably index the brain's capacity for experience. We consider this as a positive trend in consciousness research.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press

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