What is consciousness? Epilepsy patients being assessed for surgery bring us a step closer to understanding

Epilepsy patients being assessed for possible surgery have electrodes implanted in the brain in order to try to locate the precise area of the brain responsible for causing their seizures. This provided an opportunity for researchers to discover more about ‘consciousness’. Using the implanted electrodes, scientists were able to monitor the activity of individual neurons in the brain giving us a better idea as to how ‘conscious perception’ is created, whilst providing insights into the treatment of severe epilepsy.Scientists from Tel Aviv University measured the neural activity associated with a new conscious experience by presenting a variety of different images to the patients. They were able to identify which areas of the brain were associated with the process and how long it took from the point at which a new image was presented, to the patient’s report of seeing the same image.Professor Fried said. “It is a unique privilege to gain such a rare glimpse into human consciousness. At the same time, we can provide clinical care aimed at alleviating severe epilepsy in our patients.”To read more about this research, just click here: