Initial-state-dependent, robust, transient neural dynamics encode conscious visual perception

• Published in: PLoS computational biology Vol. 13; no. 11; p. e1005806
• Main Authors: Baria, Alexis T., Maniscalco, Brian, He, Biyu J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 01.11.2017; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adult; Analysis; Biology and Life Sciences; Brain; Brain - physiology; Brain research; Computational Biology - methods; Computer and Information Sciences; Cortex; Evolution; Female; Funding; Human performance; Human subjects; Humans; Latency; Magnetoencephalography; Magnetoencephalography - methods; Male; Models, Neurological; Neural circuitry; Neurological disorders; Neurological research; Neurosciences; Pattern analysis; Perception; Physical Sciences; Research and Analysis Methods; Robustness; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; Social Sciences; Software; Task Performance and Analysis; Trajectories; Trends; Visual perception; Visual Perception - physiology; Visual stimuli; Visual tasks; Visual thresholds; Young Adult; United States > US; Maryland
• ISSN: 1553-7358; 1553-734X; 1553-7358
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005806

Recent research has identified late-latency, long-lasting neural activity as a robust correlate of conscious perception. Yet, the dynamical nature of this activity is poorly understood, and the mechanisms governing its presence or absence and the associated conscious perception remain elusive. We applied dynamic-pattern analysis to whole-brain slow (< 5 Hz) cortical dynamics recorded by magnetoencephalography (MEG) in human subjects performing a threshold-level visual perception task. Up to 1 second before stimulus onset, brain activity pattern across widespread cortices significantly predicted whether a threshold-level visual stimulus was later consciously perceived. This initial state of brain activity interacts nonlinearly with stimulus input to shape the evolving cortical activity trajectory, with seen and unseen trials following well separated trajectories. We observed that cortical activity trajectories during conscious perception are fast evolving and robust to small variations in the initial state. In addition, spontaneous brain activity pattern prior to stimulus onset also influences unconscious perceptual making in unseen trials. Together, these results suggest that brain dynamics underlying conscious visual perception belongs to the class of initial-state-dependent, robust, transient neural dynamics.