University of California researchers identify neural mechanisms of visual consciousness

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, led by Janis Hesse and Doris Tsao, have uncovered new insights into how the brain distinguishes between visual information and conscious perception. Using a technique known as binocular flash suppression, the team presented different images to each eye of monkeys to observe which stimuli entered conscious awareness and which remained suppressed.

By recording brain activity with Neuropixels probes in the inferotemporal and prefrontal cortices, the study revealed that specific populations of neurons rapidly alternate between representing a perceived image and a suppressed one. These transitions occur in extremely brief intervals of approximately 60 milliseconds. The findings, published in the journal Science, suggest that understanding consciousness requires examining neural activity on a very fine temporal scale rather than simply locating neurons that respond to specific images.