Scientists in major breakthrough identified brain patterns of human consciousness.
Researchers identified brain signatures, determining if a patient is ‘aware’ after a severe brain injury.
The find networks in brain that are at work when we are conscious, without the need to ask patients to engage in task.
A dynamic pattern of coordinated and anticoordinated functional magnetic resonance imaging signals characterized healthy individuals and minimally conscious patients. The brains of unresponsive patients showed primarily a pattern of low interareal phase coherence mainly mediated by structural connectivity, and had smaller chances to transition between patterns.
In consciousness and unconsciousness, our brains have different modes to self-organise as time goes by. When we are conscious, brain regions communicate with a rich temperament, showing both positive and negative connections. Credit E. Tagliazucchi & A. Demertzi
According to the scientists:
“We used a technique known as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which allows us to measure the activity of the brain and the way some regions “communicate” with others. Specifically, when a brain region is more active, it consumes more oxygen and needs higher blood supply to meet its demands. We can detect these changes even when the participants are at rest and measure how it varies across regions to create patterns of connectivity across the brain.”
source University of Birmingham
This is not consciousness that it registered, but cognative awareness and thought processes to a given stimuli. Consciousness is none of these things.