TY - CHAP
T1 - Intrinsic activity and consciousness
AU - Raichle, Marcus E.
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - Traditionally, studies of brain function have focused on task-evoked responses. By their very nature, such experiments tacitly encourage a reflexive view of brain function. While such an approach has been remarkably productive, it ignores the alternative possibility: that brain functions are mainly intrinsic, involving information processing for interpreting, responding to and predicting environmental demands. I shall argue that the latter view best captures the essence of brain function, a position that accords well with the allocation of the brain's energy resources. Understanding intrinsic activity will require integrating knowledge from cognitive, systems, cellular and molecular neuroscience. Ultimately, understanding conscious awareness will require an appreciation of the fundamental role played by intrinsic activity in brain function.
AB - Traditionally, studies of brain function have focused on task-evoked responses. By their very nature, such experiments tacitly encourage a reflexive view of brain function. While such an approach has been remarkably productive, it ignores the alternative possibility: that brain functions are mainly intrinsic, involving information processing for interpreting, responding to and predicting environmental demands. I shall argue that the latter view best captures the essence of brain function, a position that accords well with the allocation of the brain's energy resources. Understanding intrinsic activity will require integrating knowledge from cognitive, systems, cellular and molecular neuroscience. Ultimately, understanding conscious awareness will require an appreciation of the fundamental role played by intrinsic activity in brain function.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84866999507&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/978-3-642-18015-6_9
DO - 10.1007/978-3-642-18015-6_9
M3 - Chapter
AN - SCOPUS:84866999507
SN - 9783642180149
T3 - Research and Perspectives in Neurosciences
SP - 147
EP - 160
BT - Characterizing Consciousness
A2 - Dehaene, Stanislas
A2 - Christen, Yves
ER -